Lapsae Avibus
by Jubalii
Summary: The past week has been hell for Seras Victoria: her close friend/ boss has died, her master has decided to present her at court, and the new Hellsing heir is an enigmatic businessman with a sharp-tongued historian for a wife! Add a civil war to the mix, and Seras is going to have to rely on more than her own wits to stay alert…and undead. (Prequel to Caeli et Inferno)
1. The Death of Integra

**Do I really have to say it? (Is prodded) OKAY!**

**I don't own Hellsing. There. Are you happy now?!**

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**Lapsae Avibus: Soaring Birds**

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Seras Victoria felt tears dropping slowly off her jaw as she held the hand of an unresponsive Integra Hellsing. The elderly woman had been showing signs of decline for a few months, but Seras had foolishly clung to the hope that Integra would somehow be immortal. Now, as she stared at the sleeping woman she saw the signs of age that she'd tried to ignore for so long. She chafed the woman's hand with her thumb, realizing painfully that her skin was becoming steadily warmer to the Draculina; as sure a sign as any that the Hellsing was steadily becoming colder and more lifeless. She felt another tear escape her eye, and tried to wipe it on her sleeve. She didn't want Integra to see her in such a state when she awoke.

"_If_ she wakes, Seras," her master said softly as he phased through the floor to check his Master's progress. Alucard, too was slightly affected by Integra's death, although thirty years between his "death" and rebirth he'd become more distant to the woman. When he returned, it didn't take him long to realize that Seras had taken both his and Walter's place in the elderly woman's life, being a caretaker, guardian, and friend. He felt his Childe's sorrow and denial through their bond, and a part of him wished he could make the cold truth of death easier for the young woman.

"She _will_ wake, Master. She can't-"Seras started, and began to choke up as she frantically wiped away tears. "She can't go without-without saying goodbye!" she sniffed and stomped one boot on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. Alucard said nothing, turning away to stare out the window at the impending dawn that was fast approaching.

Suddenly, Seras made a surprised noise as she felt Integra's hand squeeze her own weakly. Seras leaned forward, her eyes roving over the once-proud woman who now looked so tiny and frail in the bed. She smiled softly as Integra opened her one remaining eye, looking over at her servant. Integra blinked several times, as if trying to pull Seras into focus. She gave a tiny grin at the Draculina.

"Seras…Victoria," she whispered faintly and Seras nodded.

"Yes, I'm here," she answered, choking back a sob. Integra slowly turned her head back to face the ceiling. Seras opened her mouth to say something to the woman, and Alucard came close to the foot of the bed, looking at the elderly heir. Integra's gaze shifted and she stared for a few moments before smiling in bliss, her face looking thirty years younger.

"It's _you_," she murmured joyously to the ceiling, her gaze blissful and loving. Seras gasped as she watched the life leave her friend's face, her eye turning glassy and the hand in her own falling limp.

"No," she whispered. "No!" Seras flung herself across Integra's still form, sobbing loudly. Alucard watched for a moment before placing a hand on his Childe's heaving shoulders hesitantly. "Please….don't leave, Integra….don't go." Seras moaned into the bed sheets, her heart stricken with a grief she'd never known before. The pair stayed that way-one motionless, one mournful-until the morning light forced Alucard to pick his hysterical Childe up like a baby and carry her to the lower depths of the manor, her howls echoing through empty halls.

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_Author's Note: I know I said that the prequel wouldn't come so soon, but inspiration struck! I hope you don't mind. Who did Integra see in her last living moments? Hmmm…..was it her father? Her lover? Jesus? Her mother? Who knows? She didn't exactly tell us, did she?_


	2. A Surprising Twist

Seras groaned internally as she stared down at the papers on Integra's desk before turning her eyes to the large picture windows. Outside, the evening was bright and frigid-the perfect winter weather. However, Seras turned her mind back to the daunting task at hand. The three men sitting across from her sat patiently as the Draculina sifted through the papers. She sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"It seems that everything is in order," she said finally, defeated. Alucard, sensing her distress through their bond, appeared behind her as a silent protector. Seras frowned and licked her lips before addressing the men. "So we're handing the Hellsing Organization over to Parliament, who will use it as a main staple for their other government agencies as well, am I right?"

"Yes. Of course, the Council of Twelve will all have their say in keeping the Hellsing tradition and faith, but it will become a state-operated affair instead of its previous title as a family business," the leader of the men answered as he subtly fidgeted in the seat. Parliament had respectfully until the previous owner had been laid in her final resting place before contacting the remaining members of Hellsing. Although Seras was touched at their kindness, and would have never believed that _lawmen_ would be so patient and helpful in the process; a month had indeed passed and it was now time to sign over the rights.

"Alright; where do I sign?" Seras questioned, picking up a pen. The men pointed and explained, and Seras bit her lip as she brought down the pen. Just before the pen hit the paper, the sound of running came from outside the door before a young lawyer came bursting in the office unannounced.

"Don't sign that paper! It's illegal!" the lawyer shouted. The men and vampires alike stood at the intrusion, more than surprised. One of the Parliament-appointed officials straightened his toupee.

"What's the meaning of this?" he sputtered as he fixed the sideways hairpiece, obviously unsettled. The lawyer straightened his tie, still breathing heavily as he walked into the room. He looked around for a moment before speaking.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Pierre Gates, and I am one of the many lawyers appointed by the Hellsing Organization." He pointed to the papers in Seras' hand. "Those documents are illegal, I'm afraid." Seras looked to the men, who all looked back equally confused. Mr. Toupee cleared his throat, his mustache wiggling in the breeze it created.

"How so, Mr. Gates?" he inquired. Mr. Gates pulled a manila folder from his suit coat. Opening it, he walked over to the table to lay the contents so that everyone could see.

"These documents are null and void because Hellsing does, indeed, have an heir to claim the Organization."

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**Author's Note**: This is the part of the anime where it cuts to everyone's face being very surprised. An Heir! Even the author is surprised! _DUM DUM DUUUUUUUMMM~_


	3. An Heir Exists!

"That can't be!" Mr. Toupee shouted; sweat beginning to bead at his collar. His colleagues showed varying amounts of shock. Alucard stepped forward, narrowing his eyes at Mr. Gates.

"How do you know for sure? I've lived here for many years and there's not been an heir. This could easily be a forgery, and I won't deal with being played as a fool," Alucard growled, and Mr. Gates immediately backed up to put at least two feet and a chair between himself and the larger vampire.

"No Master, he's right," Seras said softly, looking at the topmost paper contained in the folder. Alucard looked at her with undisguised surprise, his eyebrows raised. "I remember; it was a very long time ago though. That baby must be…about 40, right?" she calculated looking at Mr. Gates, who nodded.

"He's actually 44, ma'am," the man replied politely. Alucard frowned at Seras.

"Explain yourself Seras," he growled, not using her usual nickname around business. Seras bit her lip, looking at her master briefly before addressing the room.

"About 40-well, I suppose 43 years ago, right after the Millennium War, I found myself alone with Integra. We had the soldiers, of course, but Integra and I spent most of our time together. It wasn't until she was about 6 months pregnant when she told me. I was surprised, of course, but I helped her keep it a secret. No one but me, Integra, and the midwife knew about the baby when it was born." Seras paused, looking for a long moment at the ceiling before she continued, choosing her words carefully. "She never told me who the father was. After the baby was born, it only took me a few moments of careful…study to but 2 and 2 together. After I confronted her, she confirmed my suspicions."

"Who was the father?" Alucard asked with a grin, but Seras gave him a hard look.

"She wanted it to be a secret, and it's a secret I'll take to my grave. If you figure it out, I'll tell you what I know then," she said in a way that made it clear that there would be no changing her mind on the matter.

"Anyway," she said, getting back to the story, "Integra was going to keep the child, but she found that she just…couldn't. I don't know the particulars, but she just said she couldn't keep it around. We had a long talk, and Integra decided that it might be best to send the child to a certain…boarding school/orphanage that rich people send their own bastard children to. He'd be paid for and given the best chance to succeed there, and he'd never have to know that he had a mother alive somewhere. That is, until now."

The men sat in silence for a moment, before Mr. Gates spoke up.

"I think I can take it from here. Like this young lady said, Mr. Hellsing received the best care that money could buy; although he was told that it was inheritance from his dead family. He even had enough "left" to go to one of the country's best colleges. He now is a very successful executive at a business firm in London. However, due to the recent tragic events, he's been informed of his newfound inheritance and wants to come see the place with his wife." Mr. Gates finished and looked expectantly at the men. Seras raised her hand slightly.

"You said his wife?" she asked curiously. Mr. Gates nodded.

"Dr. Abigail Selene Hellsing, formally Rosario. She' s quite the prodigy in her field. She received a Doctorate in Ancient European Culture by the age of 22. She's currently 30 at the moment, and working on her latest achievement in Warfare of the Romanian Lords." Alucard smirked, raising his eyebrow at Seras who gave him a "don't-scare-off-the-nice-men-please" look before turning back.

"And they want to see the house, is what you mean?" she asked tentatively. Mr. Gates shook his head.

"Not just the house, ma'am. He actually was very interested in the Hellsing name, and the type of work they'd do if they chose to live here and take over the Organization. I said that I was sure that there'd be people here to help. I guess that's you?" Seras nodded, and turned to the men that were now gathering their papers. She smiled apologetically.

"I suppose I'll be getting in touch with you soon, depending on whether or not this Mr. Hellsing decides to take the place." Turning back to Mr. Gates, she put on her best business smile. "We'll be expecting the Mr. and Mrs. here on Tuesday."

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**Author's Note: **There's a 14 year age gap between Enoch and his darling Abby, but when you're in love I suppose that doesn't matter. _(She had to be young enough to have a baby after 6 years T_T)_


	4. Bad First Impressions

**Author's Note: **I know that I'm a terrible person for not updating sooner, but I caught a summer cold, I guess. I've been sick as a dog-chills, fever, nausea, migraines, and muscle pains. I haven't been able to get on Skype lately, either! Luckily, I'm over the worst of it now-just a little headache left over and some sneezing and coughing.  
But _you Impatient Ones_ care not about my physical well-being. You just want a story. Here you go, heathens! A double update to keep your little torches away from me! (Runs and hides)

You do realize that if you came after me with a torch, I'd be forced to suspend your scarf-wielding privileges. _**Ai fost avertizat!**_ (Points finger ominously)

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Seras scrubbed the foundation off her skin, gagging at the smell. She could easily sniff out every chemical in the makeup, and when she put it on it was as if she'd smeared peanut butter on her skin-sticky and just plain gross. Alucard sneered at her from the table where he had his feet propped up, his normal haunt whenever he came to visit her.

"Police Girl, you are positively vain." He teased. Seras gave him a look in the mirror before continuing to scrub the offending substance off her cheeks. She'd wanted to look nice for Integra's son and his wife, and the human in her had decided that wearing some foundation and lip gloss might take away from her hideous red eyes. Sensing her thoughts, Alucard shook his head. "Nothing will stop people from noticing your eyes, not that they shouldn't."

"You're mean, Master." Seras whined, mistaking his meaning. Alucard simply grinned wider and stretched, leaning back far enough in the chair to touch the floor with his hat. Rolling her eyes at his gravity defying antics, Seras turned from the mirror and rubbed her red cheek. _Now I really need that foundation_ she thought miserably.

"That's your own fault-quit worrying about your appearance so much and you'll save yourself the trouble. It would do you well do remember that your new skin is more sensitive than that of a human," Alucard commented. Seras smacked his boots off her table as she walked by, opening her chest-of-drawers and staring inside for a moment before picking up her normal Hellsing uniform with a sigh. Now that she had a bad case of tomato-face, she didn't really feel like dressing up anymore.

"Out." she said in a no-nonsense manner, smacking again at her Master's apparently-unmovable feet that were dirtying her table. Looking at his raised eyebrows, she shook the skirt of her uniform. "I have to get _changed_, Master! Out!" Alucard put on what was supposed to be an innocent look, failing miserably.

"Why can't I stay? It's nothing I haven't seen before. _Someone_ had to change you out of those bloody clothes the day I brought you here." Seras looked blank before squeaking and turning bright red, the edges of her blush going deeper than the front of her robe.

"Get OUT!" she wailed, smacking him with her clothing as he phased through the floor, his mocking laughter echoing through the room in his absence. Seras fanned herself, trying to get the heat out of her face. She untied the belt of the robe before clutching it back around her, searching the walls and ceiling for any red eyes. She checked in her coffin, under the table, and behind the mirror before finally disrobing and donning her uniform at lightning speed. Looking once more in the mirror, she noted with a bit of hope that her cheek didn't seem quite so red anymore, and fluffed her hair once before going to wait for her guests in the main hall.

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Seras waited alone, her master apparently deciding not to greet the newcomers just yet. She sat on the main stairs, her head in her hands as she stifled a yawn. _Staying up in the daytime is so hard! Was it this hard to pull an all-nighter as a human?_ She tried to remember, but came up blank. Frowning, she rubbed her forehead.

That was happening more and more frequently as the years passed; she was slowly starting to lose the memory of her human life-the taste of a fresh apple, the warmth of sunlight on her skin, the satisfaction of letting chocolate melt in your mouth: all of it was blurring together and fading away. Seras sighed; Alucard had warned her that as the years passed, she'd only become more vampiric but part of her still longed to watch the sunrise without the fear of getting 3rd degree burns.

_Still, it was your choice. Do you regret your decision? _Alucard asked her mentally. Seras wrinkled her nose in thought. Did she regret it? _Sometimes, _she answered truthfully. _Do you regret it, Master? _

_Your decision? Not at all. _He purred. Seras growled.

"You know what I meant," she scoffed aloud, but she knew that she'd never get the answer to such a personal question. True to her thoughts, he didn't answer back. She lay back on the stairs, placing her cheek in one hand as she reclined. _Just gotta close my eyes for a minute…_

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"Miss! Are you alright? Did you fall down the stairs?" Seras groaned and looked groggily at the owner of the hand that was shaking her awake. The first thing she noticed was a pair of grass-green eyes that were staring at her worriedly. "Good God, man! Her eyes are scarlet; she's got an aneurysm!" Seras sat up, blinking before she remembered that she was supposed to be waiting for the guests. She jumped up, squeaking as she realized she must have fallen asleep. The man let out his own surprised yelp and she looked at him.

It was easy to see he was Integra's son. He had inherited her long face and lanky figure. His hair was a brownish-blonde that made it look as though it was either highlighted or really, really dirty. He had the beginning of age lines around his forehead, which were more pronounced as it was wrinkled with worry. He wore oval glasses and a crisp, tan suit; overall the perfect persona of a businessman.

"Enoch? Oh, Lord I'm so sorry; I must have fallen asleep waiting-I'm Seras, Seras Victoria," Seras sputtered as she held out a hand. Enoch blinked a few times before taking her hand, shaking it.

"Yes, Enoch Hellsing; it's nice to meet you Miss Victoria. Not to….worry you but your eyes are bleeding, or bloodshot-or are those contacts?" he inquired, peering down into her eyes.

"Wha-bleeding?" Seras quickly touched a hand to her face, praying to anyone who'd listen that she hadn't been crying in her sleep. Thankfully, her face was dry and she gave a tiny sigh of relief. "No, I'm okay. My eyes are naturally this color. Well, not naturally-but, um-you see…uh…please, won't you come with me to the guest parlor?" she faltered with a stiff smile. Enoch, apparently being polite, nodded and ignored Seras' strange behavior.

"Of course-just let me grab my wife. She's outside, ranting about the historical significance of the pillars that you have out front," he said with a wince, turning to go back out the door. The soldier that had let them in stood at the door, wincing at Seras' less-than-perfect performance.

"Sorry Mum," he said, and Seras frowned at the unwanted nickname the soldiers had saddled her with since the days of Millennium. "If I'd known you were napping, I'd never have let him in without waking you up first. I was outside when they pulled up." Seras shook her head, dismissing his apology.

"It's alright McGregor; just direct them to the parlor when they come back, okay?" she said wearily as she began to walk down the hall.

"Sure thing, Mum!" he called after moaned softly as she reached the parlor and checked herself in the mirror. _What a first impression. At least my cheek isn't red anymore. _

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**_This is a Public Service Announcement from Hellsing Organization:_**_ "_Hello, my name is Seras Victoria. Although it may be funny to think about, bleeding of the brain is no laughing matter. If you believe someone has an aneurysm, please contact medical help. Remember, being a vampire is cool, but saving a life is the most important power of all." (Salutes)_  
_

**Brought to you by Hellsing Organization and the ****Royal Free Hospital of London. **


	5. A Simple Explaination

**Author's Note**-_If I owned Hellsing_, there'd be a fighting game about it where you choose two players to support each other and the ones you choose depends on what happens. Take for instance if you play as Seras/Alucard, when Seras is almost dead, Alucard can block an attack so you have one more chance to win. It'd be so cute because it'd be a cinematic where Alucard blocks and is like "Remember what I taught you, Police Girl." And Seras gets off the ground and goes "Right! Thanks, Master!"  
The other way around would be if Alucard's about to die, Seras would jump from the sidescreen and hit the other player with her Harkonnen (like she was going to do with Anderson) and the cinematic would be Alucard nodding at Seras and she salutes and goes "I gotcha back, Master!" before running back to the sidescreen. (gushes adorableness)  
Or if it's Pip/Seras when Pip dies, it goes a small cinematic where Seras screams "I'll kill you!" and goes into her "vampire mode" where she gets an attack/defense boost. The opposite of that would be Pip restoring part of her health and going "Go get'um, Cher." With a tip of his hat.  
**THAT WOULD BE SO COOL. Fangirl away! (flies away) **

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Seras stood up from her chair as the door opened. Enoch walked inside, thanking McGregor as he held the door open for his wife. Seras sized up the woman curiously.

She was a slightly curvy woman about Seras' height. Her eyes were hazel and danced with light as she eagerly took in the room. She wore a bright blue sundress with white stripes, much more casual. Her curly hair was dark brown, deep enough to almost be black and it was pulled in a low ponytail that spilt over her tanned shoulders. She grinned widely at Seras, striding over to grab the Draculina's hand and shake it vigorously.

"Hi there! Abigail Hellsing; you must be Seras! My husband's right, you do have strange eyes," she said unabashedly as Enoch made a shushing sound, his cheeks glowing pink. Seras chuckled awkwardly, trying not to be whiplashed by the hard handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hellsing," she chattered around the shaking, finally pulling her hand away. Abby bounced on the balls of her feet before gasping and pointing to the painting above the fireplace.

"Call me Abby; everyone does and-Honey! Look, it's a Baroque!" she said excitedly as she walked over to examine the painting. Gazing at it, she turned to Seras. "Surely-it looks like it, but this can't be an original, can it?" Seras shrugged.

"No idea, Abig-Abby. Um, Mr. Gates said that you were a historian? What sort of history do you study?" Abby turned happily and walked back over to Seras, looking at Enoch who was shaking his head to Seras question and mouthing "No". She frowned at her husband and pointed at him in silent warning.

"I study all history, but my specialty is Eastern European history, more specifically from the earliest written history to the 1700s." Abby explained. Seras nodded, genuinely interested. She motioned for the pair to sit, taking her own seat and leaning forward.

"Eastern European…like Ukraine?" Seras asked, thinking back to her school days and the maps they were forced to study and test on in Geography. Abby nodded.

"That's right-Ukraine, Bulgaria, ancient Macedonia, Moldova, and Romania." Seras smiled at the last one, not able to help herself.

"Romania; like Count Dracula?" she said in a Transylvanian accent with her arms raised like a monster, laughing internally when Alucard grumbled in her mind that her accent was terrible. Abby raised an eyebrow, looking as though she was ridiculed like that often and had simply learned to brush it off.

"_Count_ Dracula isn't real-the fictitious character of an over imaginative Irishman. You are referring to Prince Vlad III," she said not unkindly, but firmly. Seras bit her lip, but finally burst into peals of laughter at the thought.

"Not real?" she managed to get out between giggles. "Now my whole world is a lie!" Abby cocked her head at the girl. Enoch looked as though he thought Seras was a lunatic, pushing himself back slightly in the chair. Seras tried to stop her uproar before she began to cry and _really_ put off her guests. "I'm sorry; it's just that… I did mean what you said, Prince Vlad whoever-he-is. That's just a big private joke." She looked at the pair of humans. "I'm not crazy, I swear!" she burst out, still giggling slightly. Suddenly she saw her guests pale and Enoch's jaw dropped a foot.

"Who says I'm not real?" Seras heard from behind her and she spun in her chair to see a hatless Alucard sticking out from the wall up to his waist behind her. He was missing his glasses and was showing off his best maniacal grin. Seras jumped up, turning back to see both humans on the edge of fainting. Suddenly, they both let out loud shrieks and pointed at the half-visible man jutting out of the wall.

"It's okay! It's okay!" Seras shouted over them, running over to try to calm them down. When that didn't work, she firmly grabbed both their chins and forced them to look at her. Ignoring their hands scratching her own, she looked them dead in the eyes and tried to concentrate on the pull of her powers. Slowly they stopped scratching, their pupils dilating as she hypnotized them into being calm. "It's okay, okay?" she said softly, straightening up to leave them slumped in their chairs. "It's only Master Alucard. He won't hurt you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Alucard said, sprawled in Seras' chair. As the humans woke, Seras moved back toward him.

"Master, that's my chair. Where am I supposed to sit now?" she complained, flushing when he patted his lap invitingly. Setting her mouth in a thin line, she sat on the floor Indian-style in front of him, squeaking quietly when he trapped her in-between his long legs. "Quit it, _please_," she hissed at him, irritated. He only chuckled and pulled her closer with his legs until her back was against the seat cushion. She growled and tried to pull away.

"Be still and shut up," he commanded and she slumped against the cushion, crossing her arms angrily but otherwise not moving. Enoch and Abby were fully aware again, much calmer but still looking warily at the pair of vampires. Abby stared at Seras before looking with interest at Alucard, mumbling his name slowly under her breath like it was a puzzle waiting for her to solve. Enoch gaped like a fish for a moment before putting a hand to his temple.

"What _exactly_ are you people?" he said as though defeated. Alucard smirked, leaning forward and running a hand through Seras' hair.

"That's simple: we're vampires."

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**Afterword:** That wasn't too fluffy, was it? Alucard would most likely do everything in his power to annoy Seras, especially in front of newcomers. It'd just remind her who_ exactly_ was in charge around the place.


	6. Tests, Blood, and Moonlit Patrols

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for all your kind reviews! I'm so happy that some of you even reviewed, even though you never reviewed on my other story. Better late than never, right? (Smiles happily) Reviews make me happy. **_**And when I'm not happy, people die.**_** T_T You people should at least review as Guests. Or you could even be Anon! I'd still love you for it. **

_**On a completely different note**_**-I have a poll (poll, not pole; otherwise it'd be very strange) on my profile page, asking what sort of Alucard/Seras (chapter, not one-shot) story I'd should start working on. ****Please go and vote.**** It'd make me very happy to see what the readers want. Thanks in advance! (^_^)7**

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The room was deathly quiet, with only the sound of the ticking clock on the hearth marking the passing minutes. Finally Enoch gave a chuckle and spoke in a slightly shrill voice, tugging at the collar of his suit.

"I get it now, good work you guys. Playing a funny joke on the new owners; I see how it is," he said, grinning strangely. He stood and gestured to Alucard. "It was all set up using technology. I saw it on Scooby-Doo as a child; you came out of the wall using a holographic image to scare us, right? Right?" Now Seras was the one to looking as if the man standing up was a cuckoo-bird. Alucard leaned forward and tugged Enoch's sleeve.

"Holograms can't touch people, if I remember correctly," he purred before reaching back to squeeze Seras' shoulders, shaking her side-to-side slightly. "But I'm touching lots of things around here."

"Like my nerves…." Seras mumbled before an extra-hard shake jostled her back into stony silence. Enoch sputtered for a moment before turning to look at his wife for advice, but she was lost in thought. Standing up, Abby walked over to sit on her knees before the Draculina. She reached into her dress and pulled out a silver cross that was hanging from her necklace.

"Abby, what are-" Enoch said before Abby touched the cross lightly to Seras' cheek, still staring intently. "Abby?" After a moment of nothing happening, she placed the cross back under her dress. She stood, walking over to the window and pulled back the curtain sharply, flooding the room in sunlight. Alucard grinned, leaning back into the chair and leaving Seras bathed in the light. Seras frowned at the uncomfortable heat and moved back as well, letting her boots take the brunt of the light. Seemingly satisfied, Abby closed the curtain and walked back over to her dumbfounded husband.

Reaching into his pocket, she pulled out a pocketknife and walked back. Sensing what she was about to do, Enoch pulled her arm back and made a sound of argument, but was ignored. Stopping in front of Seras, she gasped slightly as she drew the knife across her palm. Seras looked up and sniffed the air, craving the source of the tangy scent. Abby looked at Seras for a moment before flinging the small pool of blood in her hand at Alucard's face. Faster than the humans could see, he'd caught the blood in the air and drew back, licking his chops like a wolf. Abby stood stock-still, and Alucard inclined his head towards Seras.

"It's not a good idea to waste fresh blood around here," he crowed, the blood still thick on his tongue. Abby nodded and lowered her hand to Seras, who reached up and daintily cleaned the wound with one swipe of her tongue. The woman watched in fascination as the Draculina's saliva went to work, closing the wound in a matter of seconds. She ran her finger down the now-whole palm, marveling. She wiped the thin stream of blood on the knife off and folded it, handing it back to Enoch. Her husband grabbed her hand and turned it over, looking and making sounds of disbelief. She pulled away and sat back in her seat.

"I believe you," she declared. Enoch groaned and sat down as well, although he seemed much paler and his legs were shaking. "So you really are Count Dracula then?" Abby asked Alucard. Enoch scoffed and turned to her.

"What makes you say that? Just because you've proved that these people are…whatever the hell they are; it doesn't mean that-"

"Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards, Honey. Not only that, he fits the description, as well as the surviving portraits of the prince," she said with a scholarly air. "Would you mind if I asked you some questions? History would benefit greatly from your knowledge of the world and everything that's happened since the period you came from. Whatever happened between you and the Hungarian-"

"Enough." Alucard growled, and the woman sat back in surprise. "I refuse to be interviewed. You humans have a way of filling in the gaps of history with your own outlandish creations. Be happy with those and leave the past in the past." He glared hatefully at the historian.

"Very well. If that's your opinion, then I'll respect it," she said with a small bow, although her face displayed her disappointment. Alucard phased abruptly through the floor, his voice echoing in the room.

"Finish this, Police Girl." Seras pulled herself back into the warm, newly-vacated seat. She sighed, rubbing her eyes before looking apologetically at the couple. Abby stared at the floor where her newfound study had simply vanished.

"Goodness, I hope I didn't offend him. Did I say something?" she asked Seras, who shrugged and made a face.

"I have no idea, honestly. Master doesn't tell anyone much about his feelings." Abby mimicked Seras' face and threw her hands in the air. Enoch, who had until now remained silent in order to regain his composure, spoke up.

"Master, Master-why do you call him that?" he asked wearily, looking as if he'd wanted to sleep the rest of the day. Seras blanked for a moment at his meaning before her face lit up and she popped her collar open, her skin pale against the crimson color.

"Because he drank my blood, of course," she explained, pointing to the puncture wounds on her neck. Abby jumped up and ran over to take a look, touching the raised edges slightly in awe. Seras tilted her head more to give her better access. Enoch looked nauseous as he gazed across at her.

"So-so you really are...v-vampires, then." Seras nodded, fastening her collar back as Abby took her seat. "And my mother knew this?"

"Naturally. She was already in charge when Master turned me and brought me here. We even tried to get her to join us as a vampire, but of course she always refused." Abby raised her eyebrows.

"Really? Why?" she inquired.

"Well, she always said it was because the Hellsing blood couldn't be tainted like that," Seras said wistfully, remembering the times she'd been pummeled by Integra just for mentioning the offer.

"Abraham van Hellsing." Abby said softly, pointing to the floor. Seras nodded. "And that all really happened? Bram Stoker's story, I mean."

"M-most of it, I think." Seras faltered. "Master doesn't talk of it at all, and when I tried to get it out of him I was…severely reprimanded. But he has hinted that all the parts are there; it just wasn't fit together the right way. Mr. Stoker wasn't involved-the story was told to him and he wrote it down." Abby nodded.

"That's history for you. It's like that children's game, Telephone. One person knows the story, but the more people it gets told to, the more muddled it gets until you get to the present, all these years later, and nothing is at all what it was to begin with." Abby said, waving her arms around for emphasis. Enoch cleared his throat, looking around the room before settling on Seras.

"Seras Victoria," he said softly, exhaustion in his voice. "I want you to make this short, sweet, and to the point. Tell me about Hellsing, what it is, what you do, what _he_ does, and what it means to England. Be as understated as you can, please. And Abby, darling-do be quiet. You're distracting everyone today."

* * *

Seras waved as the car pulled away in the evening light. After she'd told Enoch all he wanted to know, he'd had very specific questions. He'd not asked anything else about supernatural occurrences, sticking only to the military operations and how it pertained to destroying vampire targets. After he ran out of questions, he'd thanked Seras and drug his wife out the door, her voice protesting that she wanted to look at the rest of the house's decorations. Seras was to hear Enoch's final answer on whether he'd pick up his mother's mantle in three days.

After the car drove out of view, Seras turned to see Alucard waiting for her on the steps. It was at this point in the evening that she and her master went on their "patrol", which was usually just a lengthy stroll over the entire grounds. Although Seras enjoyed these nightly walks, she really wasn't in the mood today after the stunt he pulled in her meeting. Knowing that opting out was out of the question, however, she pulled herself together and off they went.

They walked in companionable silence for a while, and Seras found herself wondering the same thing she'd wondered ever since he came back from his soul-killing spree. But tonight, something was different and Seras found herself speaking before she thought.

"Master, we're not going to be like this forever, are we?" she enquired. She felt, rather than saw Alucard looking at her from under his hat, but kept her gaze steady on a lone tree that they were approaching.

"What do you mean?" he replied, his voice blank. She frowned slightly. It was hard to read his emotions when he kept that detached tone. They passed the tree, turning automatically to head around the far side of the shooting range.

"Like this-taking walks together at night, and maintaining the manor, and going on missions together…" she paused, searching for the right words. "I mean, you've had other people like me and they aren't here, with you; so that means that one day I won't be here either. Right?" She knew that he'd had other fledglings under his care-he'd even told her about some in the midst of their training. Not to tease her-he'd been teaching her, using their mistakes as examples of what _not_ to do. She knew that most likely he'd use her as an example one day, too. It gave her a strange feeling in her stomach.

"Yes, my Children that survived chose to leave and have fledglings of their own when they became a full-blooded vampire. One day, you too may choose to leave and create your own path in the night." He said neutrally as they passed the training fields and headed toward the wooded area of land within the perimeter. Seras bit her lip, looking down at her hands.

"But, if I did that…could I still come visit you?" she asked shyly. Alucard turned his head fully to examine her, but she couldn't bring herself to look up at him.

"I know you're barely beginning to understand this, Police Girl, but time means nothing to a midian. Eons seem like mere weeks, with only the changing styles of the humans to mark time. We walk, frozen in our own time periods and memories, with only other creatures like ourselves who can understand what we go through." Seras looked up at him, confused as to how this answered her simple question. Alucard placed a gloved hand on her shoulder.

"When you drink my blood, our bond will disperse. I won't be your master anymore. You can forge your own destiny. But we're still one family. It's hard for you to comprehend what I mean, when you don't _know _any other vampiric bloodlines. But we will always be connected by our shared blood. So you can always be in touch with me. Many of my former fledglings are. They tell me the news of my kingdom, and often the gossip as well." Seras giggled as she imagined Alucard eagerly waiting for gossip like an old granny watching a soap opera. However, when her giddiness passed she grabbed his hand off her shoulder and held it between her own as they walked.

"But Master, I don't want our bond to go away. I like what we have now. Don't you like what we have now?" she asked almost desperately, clutching his hand. When he didn't answer right away, she released it. _He must think I'm such a child_, she thought sadly.

"I don't dislike it," he said suddenly, and she beamed up at him, her mood immediately swinging for the better. "But Seras, there are so many more bonds you can form with souls than just the one we share for the moment." Seras agreed silently, thinking about the bond she and Pip once shared, before he was lost among the other souls she'd been forced to consume to survive. He'd stopped speaking to her and it broke her heart, but she'd kept his soul around anyway; she couldn't bear to get rid of it. She zoned back to reality as Alucard spoke again. "Many fledglings have Friends to last the centuries with." Seras raised her eyebrows at the way he seemed to turn it into a proper noun, and Alucard tried to explain.

"Vampire friendships are deeper than those of humans. Vampiric bloodlines often fought back in the day, and when we all united as one front we formed a new bond between ourselves. It's almost like…a wolf pack of sorts. Or a brotherhood. Do you understand?" Seras shook her head.

"Not at all, Master. I suppose if I actually knew other vampires instead of killing them all, I'd get it better." Alucard scoffed.

"Those maggots are FREAKS. They don't need to be called vampires-it sullies our name. _We_ are vampires; true-blooded nobles forged through centuries. Vampires have ancestry. Vampires have a lineage that they speak proudly of." Alucard said firmly. Seras nodded, some ancient part of her-she supposed it was her vampire side talking-agreed wholeheartedly with him, although she didn't know why. "But you make a valid point," he said, almost to himself rather than to her.

They were back at the opposite side of the manor now; the unspoken signal that their walk was over for the night. Most of the soldiers were trickling out the door on their way to training or target practice. They gave Seras a wave or a "hello" and many gave Alucard a nervous nod before scurrying off. Seras hesitated at the stairs.

"Master, what did you think of Integra's son?" she blurted out finally. Alucard considered her statement for a moment before continuing up the steps, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

"He's quite the interesting one, isn't he? Let's hope he doesn't end up like the_ last_ solicitor I came across."

* * *

**Afterword:** You mean cuckoo-cachou Renny or wimpy Reeves/actor/person/Harker, Alucard? Hmmm.


	7. A Monster's Memories

**Author's Note**: Before we continue, let me share part of this review I received from a reader. This had me laughing for five minutes straight before I could pull myself together; I thought everyone might enjoy it.

_From sakanascales876: …it's rather bizarre to see Enoch so tame after that whole little…/incident/ where he ordered Seras to become __a toaster strudel__ and Alucard flipped some tables, to put things nicely. _

Yep. Toaster Strudel. This needs a new patch. **S.S.876,** I hereby present you the scarf-patch for "Best Quotable Review". May you wear it well, my friend.

* * *

_He stared at the man fiddling around with something in his room, grumbling to himself. Clearing his throat, he stepped into the light. The man made a quirky sound and turned around with wild eyes, but seeing the figure his mask dropped and he became normal-looking. _

"_Oh, it's just you." The man turned, hitting the bars of his cell with a hand as the screams and moans of the other inmates faded away. He watched as an attendant moved at a slow speed, the boot taking forever to reach the ground as the time outside the cell slowed to almost nothing. "Jack Seward is in his office, most likely doped up. Do us all a favor and drink his blood for a change." The man muttered, scrubbing at a stain on his uniform. _

"_Why, Mr. Renfield! It sounds as if you're actually __**angry**_** at**_ this Jack fellow." Renfield looked up from his laundry. _

"_I'm angry at you! If it weren't for you traipsing into London as if you owned the place, this would never have happened," Renfield spat out irately, throwing the stained garment down in disgust. "Nothing is going to get that out." he growled. He chuckled._

"_Just because you were caught doesn't mean you should blame me. Just escape." He teased. _

"_I __**do**__ get out, Vlad, and they keep dragging me back here! I'm trying to think of a way to fake my death so that they'll leave me alone already. Ariel says my garden's getting all weedy and the spiders are taking over." Renfield muttered worriedly, biting his nails and looking as though he dreaded the thought of a spider revolution. He frowned, remembering the strange relationship this creature of London had with one of his own people. But… it didn't seem to hurt her loyalty towards her king, so he dismissed it. _

"_Poor, poor you. Your garden's all weedy." He mocked cruelly, knowing that Renfield wouldn't acknowledge him in the slightest. It was never too much fun to tease him. Apparently either succubae had no sense of humor, or if they did it was one all of their own. _

"_It's not that that has me angry. It's the fact that I have to pretend to be insane to keep these people from cutting me open. Words gotten out and now everyone from the Shoppe comes by to tease me. "Spare a cup of sparrows, Renny?" "Want me to grab you a kitty off the street, Renny?" It's driving me up the wall! Of course I don't eat sparrows!" Renfield grated through clenched teeth, throwing a look toward his guest. _

"_What do you eat then?" he asked as he leaned against the wall, careful to keep any stains off his clothing. _

"_Vampire bats!" Renfield hissed, tearing his glasses off. He looked at the supposed lunatic, who was practically foaming at the mouth. _

"_Calm down. Just pretend to be beaten up, say it was "your master", and pretend to die. It's as easy as that." He watched as Renfield rubbed his glasses on his shirt, placing them back on his nose, and breathed in a calmer breath. _

"_I was thinking that myself, actually. It'd be better for me. However," Renfield said, turning his back to the man as he tugged on his shirt, "I've been reading the paper and hearing rumors from ol' Jackie in there. Count Dracula is terrorizing London, it seems." Renfield gave him a measured glance. "Vlad, what are you planning on doing to that young lady?" When he didn't answer, Renfield strode over and looked up at him, concern in his gaze. _

"_You know as well as I do that you can't live with this sort of power forever. All this you're doing-it's very likely to be your downfall. I'm warning her, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." He set his lips into a thin line, exercising all his patience into keeping himself from trying to make Renfield a smear on the wall. Part of him actually wondered if he could do it- Renfield was about as old as the Earth, and no creature alive knew __**exactly **__how deep his powers and influence ran. _

"_Fine, warn her. I don't care; it won't change anything," he said neutrally. Renfield gave him a reproachful look before walking back to sit on the cot against the wall. _

"_Don't say I didn't warn you."_

_The words echoed, twisting around his mind until they shot a hole through his heart along with the human's stake._

* * *

Seras jerked awake, the dream fading quickly from her memory although a dull ache remained in her chest. She shook off the pain, scratching her chest blankly as she tried to remember the dream. All she could think of was a tall man with glasses and a warning that she should have heeded. _I don't recognize him at all, though, _she thought as she tried to remember more details about the be-spectacled man. Before she could ponder more on the subject, she realized that she had better get ready if she was to look presentable for her guests that would be arriving later.

Down the hall, her master awoke from the same dream, although he remembered every facet of it. Panting slightly, he rubbed his chest and felt his Childe's confusion. Realizing he'd unwittingly shown her his memory in his sleep, he prowled deeper into her mind, relieved to find that she'd brushed it aside without a second thought. Thinking, he sat in his chair and simply phased his clothing on. _Renfield…I haven't thought about him in years. He just may be the answer…_

* * *

**Afterword:** And we begin to set the stage for the Vampire Court! Excitement! Renfield may seem a bit OOC (If an OC _can_ be OOC _) but he's kind of in a predicament here: every time he gets away from Jackie, they bring him back because he's a fly-eating maniac in their eyes. All the man wants is some time to himself!

Renfield's relationship to Alucard is quite….strange. It's the closest thing to a friend Alucard will every have (besides Seras). Alucard can't really defeat Renfield, because Renfield basically is a demon. Not that he's from hell and wants to see the world burn, no. Some people want to watch the world burn, but not him. Renfield is more of a demon in the way that he's not an angel, but he's been around since the beginning of creation almost so that's his default place in life. He's really strong, too, simply because he's an old, powerful creature who takes the form of a 40-year-old man with glasses. He's got this aura of lunacy around him, but that's only because he's so damn weird that to a normal person, he does seem erratic but he's really just being the only thing he knows how to be. Alucard respects him and apparently trusts him enough to dump Seras on him for a while, and Renfield respects Alucard enough to keep boundaries set and sort of just….let him do what he wants.

It's kind of like they enjoy each other's company, but they just kinda…eh. They're not bosom companions, I'll give them that. As for Ariel and Renfield-um…I guess they're kind of friends with benefits, huh? Heh heh heh.

(sings) -Sorry for au-thor ran-ting!

LMFAO hehehe


	8. The New Heir

**Author's Note**: Lots of you have been either PMing me or asking questions in reviews. I'm sorry though; you're not getting any extra information about this story from me! As for the rumor that I'm currently also plotting a sequel to _Caeli et Inferno_, I can honestly say that it's not true. The only thing I may do to _Caeli et Inferno_ is edit it a little, because something inside me keeps saying that there are a few things I could add to make the story better. However, if I do edit it, I'll be sure to tell you all, okay? I hope that clears up some confusion! Now on with the tale!

* * *

Seras couldn't help the excited grin that graced her face as she watched Enoch sign all the necessary paperwork that made him the head of Hellsing Organization. The Council of Twelve, Mr. Gates the lawyer, Alucard, Seras, and of course Abby and Enoch had all squeezed into the office to bear witness to the signing, and the applause that accompanied it rang in Seras' ears as it bounced around the small room. She winced but said nothing, not wanting to ruin the mood.

Enoch had accepted the position a little over three months ago, and the Council of Twelve immediately whisked him and his wife away to begin their training. It was very difficult for the humans; usually the heir is schooled from childhood in the art of being a Knight but this was a special case. Enoch and Abby had many weeks of hellish training in military maneuvers, memorizing the ancient spells, and learning the history of both Hellsing and its "trump cards". They managed to pull through, though and last month they had begun the tumultuous task of moving into the manor and getting settled.

Abby and Seras quickly became close through fairy tales, of all things. At Integra's request (command) Alucard had given Seras a book of old legends that predated even his time as a birthday gift quite a few years ago. One night, Seras was enjoying some reading in the library when Abby had happened upon the Draculina. After discerning that Seras' favorite fairy tale was "Little Red Riding Hood", Abby immediately went into the history of the tale; turning a beloved children's story into a horror-filled nightmare of inter-species sex play and cannibalism. The two became fast friends.

Now, Abigail Hellsing was bending down to co-sign the papers, stating her as second-in-command and Chief Commander in the absence or death of her husband. Seras signed as the witness and the process that had taken most of the winter was now finally over. Everyone in the room seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief and quickly took their leave, eager to rest after a season of tense negotiations. Seras also sighed; she wasn't used to being the leader for so long and was rather happy to be a willing subordinate again.

_Oh, so you enjoy being dominated? _Alucard chuckled darkly into her mind. Seras fought to keep the flush from her cheeks and steadily ignored him, although her lips were pressed so tightly together they were white. _I'll have to keep that in mind. _Seras clenched her jaw and dug her nails into her legs, honestly wishing Integra were alive. She'd always looked out for her, shooting Alucard when he stepped out of line in his teasing. Enoch looked up, a look of shock written on his face.

"What's the matter Honey?" Abby said, blinking before looking at Seras too. "Is something the matter, Ser?" she questioned. Enoch shook his head, still staring at the Draculina.

"I heard that," he said finally, looking at Alucard. "You didn't talk, but I heard you in my brain." He balked, turning a strange shade of green. "Am I going insane?" Seras blinked before laughing.

"Is that all?" she giggled. Seeing the look on Enoch's face, she quickly regained her seriousness. "It's because you're the heir now. When you signed the papers, you became our master. Well, the master of my master, at least." Enoch rubbed his head and groaned aloud, while Abby looked to the side and mouthed "master of my master" like it was something amazing to think about.

"That's not explaining why I can hear your thoughts, though," Enoch muttered. Seras looked to Alucard, who stepped forward and motioned for her to vacate her seat. After a brief mental standoff-which Enoch listened to with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation until Alucard set up a barrier to block the eavesdropping man-Alucard sat in Seras' place and she balanced carefully on the chair's upholstered back.

"There are lots of things that the idiots that serve on the Council cannot teach you. That will be mine, and partly Seras' job. One of those things they have no knowledge of is the bond you carry with me as the heir. You can hear my thoughts and order me, and I have little choice but to obey," Alucard said bitterly. "Seras obeys out of respect for your position, but that's about to change." He looked up at Seras, who peered between her knees to stare at him in confusion.

"Okay, I can sort of understand that…but why can I hear you and not her?" he said, motioning at Seras. Alucard tugged on Seras' leg, almost pulling her off the chair and onto the desk. When she moved down to free her leg from his grasp, he caught one of her hands and presented the smooth skin to Enoch.

"Seras Victoria is not bound to Hellsing, so you have no power over her. She does not bear the runes that I have. But this will be your first task as leader of Hellsing-to place the runes on her." When Enoch looked from Seras' hand to Alucard's gloved one incredulously, Alucard released her and leaned forward to rest his elbow on the desk. "Think of it as an induction ceremony of sorts. A rite of passage." Abby nodded and placed her hands on Enoch's chair, resting on the back and patting his shoulder.

"We can do it, can't we dear?" she said firmly, her tone triumphant. "We've learned a lot, and now it's time to show off a little." Enoch bit his lip and nodded, clearly not as certain as his wife. Alucard saw the look and took off his glasses, looking straight into his new master's eyes.

"I will show you how to fortify yourself. If you stop even once in the midst of the incantations, you risk her life. It will be imperative to learn well what I teach you, considering the fact that I won't be there when you-"

"You're not staying with me?" Seras cut in, her voice shrill. She'd been listening to the conversation in a frozen shock, realizing that Alucard meant she was soon going to be a servant just like himself. She was staring her freedom in the face, and it was _scary_. Now her only tie to the world was just going to abandon her to a man she barely knew? "Master, how can you-"

"We'll speak about this later. Not another word," Alucard growled, clearly irritated at being interrupted. "Now, I'll be sending Seras away for a month while I teach you and continue to do missions here. When she comes back, binding her will be our first order of business." Enoch nodded, looking at Seras apologetically. Abby avoided Seras' eyes sadly. Seras' breathing hitched and stopped completely as she realized any hope of salvation was gone.

"Miss Victoria?" Enoch said concernedly as he stretched a hand toward Seras. She had a strange look in her eyes and shook her head quickly, hopping down to run around the desk and out the door in tears. The trio left in the room stared at the drops of blood already soaking into the carpet. Alucard scoffed, annoyed with his Childe's apparent weakness. "What's gotten into her?" Enoch asked him, scratching his head.

"Oh honestly!" Abby snapped, throwing her hands on her hips. "The girl's been told she's only a got a month to go before she's tied down and forced into slavery, and you have the gall to say "what's wrong with her"? She's terrified, that's what's wrong!" she lectured, making Enoch back up at least a foot. Turning to Alucard, she tapped her foot rapidly on the ground. "Well? Aren't you going to go talk to her?" When he didn't move, she ran around and tried to pull Alucard's dead weight out of the chair while ignoring his attempts to shake her off roughly. "Move, you big ape! She needs to be comforted!" she strained; trying to lift his arm like it was a barbell. "Damn, you're heavy!" she finally admitted, dropping the limb and rubbing her elbow. When he still didn't move, she threw her hands in the air. "Men!" she declared before stalking off in search of her friend.

"Abby!" Enoch ran after her, trying in vain to grab her arm as she swept from the room in a huff. "Abby, come back!" He leaned out the door, looking at her retreating figure. "It's not really any of our business, you know!" he called after her. Making a face, he rubbed the stubble on his chin before turning back to the seated figure. "I didn't mean to make the girl cry," he admitted guiltily. He absently bit his thumbnail as he stared at the door. Alucard cleared his throat, standing from the chair and placing his glasses back on his face.

"She knew this was coming; it was only a matter of time. She's just going to have to face it head on." Alucard stacked the papers before walking over and allowing the drops of blood to come from the carpet and disappear into his sleeve, leaving it as immaculate as before. "She'll be leaving in the morning, whether she likes it or not."

"Where's she going to go? Her papers claimed that she was an orphan; does she still have friends alive out there?" Enoch asked, glancing with a wince at his now-mutilated nail. Alucard shook his head slightly, his expression as detached as ever.

"An acquaintance of mine has agreed to house her and offer her emotional support during the ceremony. He's coming to bring her back with him tomorrow evening." Enoch nodded, looking as though he were struggling with something. He clenched his fist and gathered some courage.

"And-um, why_ exactly_ can't you stay there with Miss Victoria? It seems as though she wants you there," he blurted out, hoping he'd get a better answer than his wife. She was always peppering the ancient vampire with questions, and he shot down each one, often quite cruelly depending on his mood.

"I have my reasons." Alucard replied mysteriously. Enoch waited a moment before turning around, about to ask Alucard to explain. His shoulders slumped as he realized the room was empty. Turning to the desk, he sat himself down with a thump and looked to the tiny picture of Integra and Seras that still sat upon it. He touched the blue-eyed woman briefly, shaking his head.

"How the hell did you manage to handle him, old woman?" he said fondly, wishing for the umpteenth time in three months that he could have met the strong woman he'd heard so many stories about.

* * *

**Afterword**: Informational chapter is informational. Sorry for all of this information. (Shrugs) _ I do what I can.


	9. Seras' Grievances

**Author's Note:** Angsty chapter is angsty. But most of you readers are like "Bring on the angst!" or you don't review at all, in which case you don't get a choice. (Perhaps you should review… *stealsketti'sshiftyeyes*) So let's get all angsty!

* * *

Seras sat in her favorite hiding spot as she wiped the tears from her eyes. The Hellsing family graveyard was as large as it was quiet, so it was the perfect spot for Seras to be alone. She'd discovered years ago that if she sat on top of Abraham van Hellsing's mausoleum, the cypress tree's leaves camouflaged her. Unless you knew exactly where to look, Seras Victoria was simply a pair of crimson eyes against moving shadows; a feature that many humans ignored. She realized long ago why humans were such easy prey-they hardly every observed their surroundings.

She sniffled and buried her face back in her knees, her shadows wrapped snugly around her as she sought comfort in them. She felt lost and confused, and ultimately betrayed. Sitting up slightly, she wiped the bloody tears from her cheeks before closing her eyes and resting her head on her knees, her arms wrapped around her legs for support as she sat against the cool marble of the mausoleum roof.

Alucard's attitude concerning her in the office was really the straw that broke the camel's back. Tightening her arms, Seras considered her feelings. Over the past10 years since her master's return, Seras had noticed the harsher tone he often took concerning her. She was punished for trivial things such as oversleeping, and the sentences were often just downright_ cruel_, even for Alucard! And it wasn't only that; no, if that wasn't enough, the training was. When she wasn't being punished, Alucard trained her mercilessly in the art of her powers. She had a particularly hard time mastering phasing-it was _hard _for her to imagine a perfectly solid wall as being insubstantial! For every night she failed, a punishment and stricter training awaited the next night. It was slowly driving her insane!

Even though she fought and trained as hard as she possibly could, it was never enough for him. He acted as though she wasn't worth acknowledging when they were in mixed company, and even alone he was only teasing or tearing her down for the most insubstantial things. It was worth mentioning that he was occasionally thoughtful and almost _kind_, but the bad experiences far outweighed the good ones.

_Why did I even wait around for 30 years? What did I do it for!? _She bemoaned silently, more tears sliding down her chin and staining the white marble. A flash of her late boss's face popped up in her mind; her glasses shining as she gave Seras a signature one-eyed wink. _It was for Integra's sake, not my own_, she admitted sadly. She knew her master would return, and if it hadn't been for Integra she'd have probably went her own way, surviving the best way she knew how until he'd come to find her.

"Quit that sniveling. You're acting like a spoiled brat." Seras didn't respond to Alucard immediately; part of her slapped herself for not hiding better. She'd hidden from human eyes, but the one that would always come looking for her was definitely _not_ human. She decided it was time to be frank. She didn't want to play his twisted little mind games tonight, not after what she'd realized.

"You should have let me die in Cheddar. It's clear you want nothing to do with me." Seras didn't turn to address him, but she felt his eyes on her anyway. Something in his tone had made her blood boil, and she fought to repress the urge to snap his throat and drink his blood, _finally _becoming free. He scoffed quietly, and Seras had less than a half-second's warning before his boot met her back, knocking her off the mausoleum and into the tree. She hit the ground with a _thud_ before he landed on top of her, his shoe holding down her head.

"You're a very ungrateful girl. I have been nothing but patient and-dare I say generous to you, and this is what you come back with?" he sneered, pressing slightly on her head before turning to walk away. Seras felt her resolve snap; she felt the blood rush to her eyes in a mixture of rage and bloodlust as she was filled with the compulsion to maim, disfigure, and _kill_.

"Ungrateful?" she whispered, picking herself off the ground. "_Generous_?!" She felt herself shaking, her head clearing and leaving only the thought of having a month left to herself, the pain of the past 10 years…. She was beyond pissed. She was _infuriated_. She felt her demon begging her to let go, to rip his throat out with her teeth. She conceded with a growl, and felt the demon's pure glee before she felt a new strength enter her bones.

Turning on her heel, she threw herself at Alucard, expecting-no, hoping that he'd block. He didn't disappoint, only turning halfway to throw her a bored look as he held out a hand. She grabbed it and purred in elation as the_ crunch_ that followed. She threw the arm behind her, pulling out her shadows and claws with the intent to deface every last inch of his smug face. She gashed his face to the jawbone with a slap that snapped his head sideways, his glasses shattering on his nose with the impact. She scratched his clothing, roaring half-intelligible curses and insults. She grew only more agitated when she found that he wouldn't fight back, no matter what she threw at him. Leaping back, she hissed angrily and pointed a finger at his broken nose.

"_Fight me_, damnit! Don't you know I've been waiting for this? For _30 goddamned years_ I wasted my life in this hellhole, all for you! I fought for you, killed for you, and for what? Not a _bloody thing_! So this is it, Master! Fight me!" she screamed, raking her claws down her own cheeks and leaving deep, bloody slashes in her skin. Alucard watched in silence before pulling her blood towards him, healing all of his wounds. He regenerated his clothes and picked up his shattered glasses. Seras watched in fury, her body shaking so hard with rage that she became calm from it. Her mind felt empty, abandoned.

"Are you finished?" Alucard inquired, placing a fully-mended set of glasses back on his nose. Seras felt the calm tear away for a brief moment before her mind gained control over her demon once more.

"I'm finished. Finished with you; finished with Hellsing. I'm leaving," her voice seemed feeble, even though her resolve had returned stronger than ever. "Kill me if those are your orders. Hate me; let the sight of me fill you with loathing and disgust at your failure of a pet vampire. At least you feel something." She turned and faced the East, her shadows forming wings behind her. She felt as though she should hesitate but she shook her head and took off, the brightness of the upcoming dawn already in her mind.

Alucard watched her retreating figure with a look of curiosity. He felt himself grin, and pushed back the feeling of pride that bubbled slightly in his gut. _It took you long enough, Police Girl._ Chuckling softly he phased back to his chambers, intent on getting a bite to eat before recounting the newest turn of events to his new master.

* * *

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Enoch sputtered as he stared over his breakfast to where Alucard stood by the door. Abby was frozen in the process of lifting a forkful of food to her mouth, the fork still suspended in the air although her eggs had already slithered back onto the plate. "Where can she go to?" Alucard shrugged, looking nonchalant.

"She'll sleep during the day today, but I wouldn't worry about it. She can't get out of England; the ocean is still much too strong for a puny Draculina to try and cross without her coffin." Enoch reached for his drink, mumbling something about "too early for this" as promptly choked as Abby slammed her fork down hard enough on the table to send the plates into the air.

"What the _hell_?" she shouted. "Can't you even comfort a girl right?!" Abby wiped her mouth briskly on her napkin, glaring at the vampire before her.

"She wasn't in need of comfort. She was already close; I simply finished pushing her over the edge." Enoch asked the butler for some pain reliever for his head; already he felt a migraine coming on and by way the way his wife was heating up, the entire manor would be full of screaming that would rival a harpy's shrieks very soon.

"The edge of what?" Abby snapped, her eyes flashing. Alucard grinned widely, holding out his hands in a "wait-for-it" gesture.

"Seras Victoria has been inhibiting herself from the minute I turned her. She refused to drink blood, clung to her innocence, and acted more like a silly human than a true creature of the night. She's made a powerful leap forward tonight, in attacking me." Enoch looked up and Abby gasped.

"She attacked you? Are you alright?" the woman asked, concern written across her features. Alucard tipped his head down to stare at her over his glasses. She stared back, before shrugging. "I suppose you're all right then. You didn't hurt Seras, did you?"

"She's fine." Alucard looked toward the dining room windows. "I'll go after her this evening on your orders, my Master." he leered, bowing low. Enoch tugged at his collar, looking at his wife who shrugged and returned to her breakfast.

"Er-sure?" he tried with a confused smile. Alucard straightened out of the bow and vanished through the floor. Enoch stood, leaning over the table to look at the spot the vampire vacated. He shook his head and turned to the woman next to him stuffing her face. "What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?" Abby paused her shoveling, swallowing and patting his hand comfortingly.

"I'm more worried about what Seras has gotten _herself _into, honestly," she replied.

* * *

Alucard reclined in his chair, gazing drowsily at nothing as he searched the countryside for Seras' energy. He found it, already asleep but fitful. He frowned slightly and absently patted the great shaggy head that lay upon the arm of the gilded seat. The dog opened its 6 eyes and whined softly, pulling away in fear as his owner allowed himself to grow irritated. Alucard looked thoughtful for a moment before reaching down to pull the dog around to the front of the chair by its scruff.

"She's going to wish that I let her die once I get ahold of her. Follow her, mutt." He growled angrily, throwing the dog into a portal and leaning back. _If you think I'm not generous now, just wait…Seras. _

* * *

Seras screamed in frustration as she gazed at the rolling ocean. She tried once more to fly over it, but something in her just _couldn't_. She pulled at her hair, angry beyond reason that she didn't think about becoming a full vampire before leaving Hellsing. She stalked away from the moonlit sea, slipping in the sand as she ran up the dunes. She reached the road and sprinted down it, skirting along the shadows at the edge of the highway until she reached her old hometown once more. What should have taken her hours took only a matter of minutes, another reminder that she wasn't what she wanted to be.

She stood before the apartment complex, staring up at the flat that once belonged to her. _Who lives there now? _Seras wondered, and something within her felt heartbroken as she gazed. As much as she longed for it-regretting her decisions, she could never return to the way she'd been before. Slumping down on the bench next to the rows of mailboxes, she choked and began to sob for everything that she had lost.

"What's the matter, young lady? Are you lost?" a slightly-familiar voice asked as a hand touched her shoulder briefly and Seras jumped up, backing away and wiping her face quickly to remove any trace of blood. She gasped as she saw the man from her dream standing in the streetlight. He was taller than her, but only by a few inches or so. His brown hair was neatly combed, and he wore a starched pantsuit over a crisp white t-shirt. His wire-frame glasses dwarfed his tiny gray eyes, making him favor a rather gawky owl. He was observing her with a curious expression; it was as though he knew everything about her before they'd even met.

"I know you," Seras whispered. "I've seen you in a dream." The man began to hum a few bars, swaying slightly to the beat. Seras recognized the tune from _Sleeping Beauty_, and couldn't help but grin slightly. He beamed at her in return, holding out a hand to pull her back under the streetlight.

"I know you too, my dear. You upchucked on me at the summer party." Seras blinked before looking at the man in horror. She'd heard somewhere that you never see a stranger in your dreams, and now it seemed as though it was true. She remembered _exactly_ where she'd seen him and heard his voice before…..

* * *

**Afterword:** Squeak! I'm a dormouse!


	10. Seras' Flashback

**Author's Note:** I lied. I'm actually a human being. Also, this is a flashback, and that's not a lie. Also, it's a triple update! Madness!

* * *

It was the annual summer party, and Seras enjoying every minute of it. Some volcano or another had erupted in the Philippines, and the entire Earth had ash strewed in the atmosphere. As such, today was one of the very rare days where it was both cool and overcast enough for Seras to walk around outside without her "sun suit" on. She had, though, taken precautions with long sleeves and pants; however the feeling of the warmer day's breeze in her hair had felt wonderful. She had even slept part of the night last night so that she wouldn't be falling asleep on her feet today.

Her job was chiefly to help Walter guard the dessert table from the Wild Geese, who were pulling out all sorts of military maneuvers in an attempt to steal all of the puddings from the buffet. Seras was taking her job_ seriously_, "disguising" herself as a hostess in order to make sure the food was dealt out evenly to all of the guests. She was also having a bit of fun herself, chatting up the guests as they came by for a bite of cake. She didn't even let Alucard's sour mood bring her down. Integra had advised him that he'd better show up to the party, so he was currently brooding under a large tree; lounging in the shade and talking with one of Integra's many special guests, most of which Seras had no idea _who_ they were or _how_ Integra knew them.

It wasn't her business anyway; her job was to smile and refuse to let Sir Penwood have a third piece of cake. As she argued politely with the pudgy man that the Mrs. Penwood _simply refused_ to allow Seras to let him have any more, and that he was supposed to be watching his cholesterol, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Moving faster than anyone could blink, she slammed a knife right into Pip Bernadotte's glove, barely missing his thumb.

"Sorry Captain, you've already had four. Be a gentleman and let the others have a piece of pie too, alright?" she said, her voice sickly-sweet. Pip fingered the new hole in his glove, muttering curses in French until Mr. Penwood went away sadly to confront his wife on his new cake-limit. He then leered in her face, forcing her to bend back over the table as he slowly drew a hand up her abs. Seras huffed, pushing him away as she turned to place a towel back over the cake to keep away flies.

She bent down to grab another towel from under the table, and Pip raised a hand to playfully smack her backside. Right as his hand lowered, he heard the formidable growl echo in the back of his mind and seemingly around the yard. Lowering his hand quickly, he looked around. No one else seemed to have heard it, but he caught the "creepy vampire" staring straight at him. He could see the red eyes from behind the glasses, even as far away as he was. Pip quickly backed away a foot. He may flirt with death on a daily basis, but even he wasn't _that_ stupid.

"So Cher, why have you decided to guard our human food? I'd think the smell would hurt that dainty little nose of yours," he quipped, flicking the object in question as she stood up. Seras bristled, snapping the towel in his direction.

"You're crazy Bernadotte. Human food doesn't bother me at all," Seras lied. Pip raised an eyebrow, catching her in the fib. He leaned forward once more, resting a hand on the table.

"Oh really? You are a liar, I say. You can't stand this food. You can't eat it, anyway." Seras froze her mind turning as she smelt the potential challenge in the air. Deciding that he probably wouldn't dare, she took the bait.

"I can too. It's just that blood appeals to me now, is all." Pip grinned wider, looking creepily like her master as he picked up a jelly-filled doughnut from the plate and presented it to her.

"Do it. I dare you." He insisted. Seras looked at the food, surprised by his audacity. _I should've expected a dare. This is Pip we're talking about here. _She thought back to the night she drank Integra's blood, wincing slightly. She took the doughnut, steeling her resolve to keep it down long enough to prove the captain wrong. She held her breath and stuffed it in her mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing before the horrendous taste got to her. She puffed up her chest at Pip, who was staring at her with wide eyes. Suddenly her stomach lurched and she turned and _puked_. She groaned, opening her eyes to see a man, his suit covered in congealed blood and chewed up doughnut.

The man had taken a picture with Integra earlier. She'd been in the picture, but she'd been smiling and holding onto Walter at the time, and they hadn't spoken afterwards as the man had gone away with Integra and Seras had gone back to her duties. But now the man was staring down at his suit with a grimace, the blood smearing slowly down the tan jacket and plopping on the grass. He looked up at Seras, then at Pip, who was trying to decide whether to laugh or run. The man adjusted his spectacles than grabbed Seras' apron, slinging it over Pip's shoulder.

"Young man, how dare you allow this young lady to work so hard that she became sick from the heat!" the man chastised, tenderly grabbing Seras' arm and supporting her as she leaned against him. "You take over her job, and don't me see you eat a bite of what's on that table, or I'll be reporting to your superior! Hop to it!" Pip jumped at the man's tone, giving a quick salute before turning to begin serving the disgusted guests. The man placed a hand on Seras' hip, guiding her to the tree where Alucard sat.

"Come now, my dear. Let's get you into the shade so you can rest." He bent down lower, whispering in her ear. "You were either very brave or very stupid, taking on a bet like that. You knew you couldn't win." Seras blushed despite her current state, suddenly grateful for the man giving her an excuse to leave the party for a while.

"Well played, Police Girl." Alucard said, his voice shaking with undisguised mirth as he watched her continue to cough up chunks of blood and jelly. Seras gazed at him reproachfully, holding her stomach. The man patted her shoulder, offering her a kerchief to wipe the residue off her face.

"Best go and get something in her stomach, old chap," the man told Alucard, who took Seras from him and wrapped one arm around her, his cloak draping over her shoulders.

"Thank you." Seras said weakly, mortified as she stared at the mess on his suit. "I'm so –_urp-_ sorry for your clothes." The man shook a hand, waving her apology away.

"Think nothing of it, my dear. It's nothing; in fact, it's the most interesting thing that happened to me in a long time! It's not every day you're getting vomited on by a pretty girl." Seras moaned in humiliation, letting her master take her inside to rest and sip blood, him all the while lecturing her about how much of an idiot she was sometimes.

* * *

**Afterword**: Short flashback is short. Poor Seras. All for a dare….


	11. R M Renfield

**Author's Note**: _RED SPY'S IN THE BASE!_

* * *

Seras blanched, mortified beyond words. This kind man remembered her only as the poor young vampire who took a dare and went too far. She felt her cheeks grow hot, and tried to stare at the light pole as though it were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. She failed at that, too, turning back to see him beaming at her as though she were the reason the sun rose in the mornings.

"I-er-what I mean is…I'm honestly not like that all the time, Mister." She said softly, rubbing a hand on her neck. The man nodded, dismissing her words with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry about it, love. I've had lots of worse things happen than that, trust me." He motioned for her to sit, taking a spot beside her. He pulled out a blue kerchief from his pocket and tenderly wiped the bloody gashes on her cheeks. She blushed deeper, pulling away slightly. His face wrinkled in a grin as he pocketed the kerchief and sat beside her, hands in his lap. They both stared straight ahead at the buildings for a long while, basking in the sounds of the city. Finally, the man readjusted his glasses.

"I don't believe we've even been properly introduced, my dear." Seras jumped slightly at his voice. She realized he was right and turned, offering him a hand.

"Yes; I'm Seras. Seras Victoria," she said quickly, and the man shook her hand vigorously.

"R.M. Renfield; it's a pleasure," he replied, lowering his head in a parody of a bow. Seras thought that the name sounded familiar. The first thing that popped up was a fragment of her dream, but she was _almost positive_ she'd heard his name somewhere before…she frowned, tapping her thigh with one finger as she racked her brain. Suddenly, it came to her.

"R.M. Renfield, like in Dracula?" she squeaked dubiously. Renfield chuckled and nodded, his shoulders shaking. "B-but-but- _but how_? You were supposed to be a looney old man!"

"Who's to say I'm _not_ a looney old man?" he replied, still shaking in mirth. He reached under his glasses and wiped his eyes. Looking over, he watched the Draculina gaze at him in confusion and curiosity. Sighing, he looked up at the buzzing insects around the streetlight. "It's really a long story. But the story I need to tell _now_ is "What is ol' Renfield doing so far away from home?" It's an interesting question." He looked expectantly at Seras. "Go on, ask me!" Seras jolted, leaning forward.

"Um- Renfield, what are you doing so far away from home?" she asked nervously, doubting her previous judgments about him being as sane as she was. Renfield puffed his chest up, waving his hands in the air as though he was about to launch into the most important story Seras would ever hear.

"You see, I was in my nice, cozy home when I received a visitor." He began, looking over at Seras to see if she was following. "I hardly receive visitors, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw an old acquaintance of mine whom I hadn't caught sight of in, well- over 50 years, I suppose! He told me about a tiny little charge of his who needed my help." Seras nodded, and Renfield took a deep breath and continued. "I agreed to help this little ward of his, and was well on my way to his place when I saw a distraught looking young lady sobbing on a bench. After taking a closer look, I realized to my surprise it was the _exact ward_ I'd been asked to look after!" he exclaimed. "What a plot twist!" I thought to myself, and decided that since it was technically _daytime_, I'd start my guardian duties right then and there."

"Now, it's time for your story. Seras Victoria, what _are_ you doing so far away from home?" he inquired with a flourish, crossing his legs and surveying the woman across from him. Seras gaped at him for a moment before sighing, realizing the trap she'd been led into. She took a shaky breath and slowly told her story, from the signing of the documents to the confrontation. She paused often, trying to remember to tell him everything. Her police instincts warned her not to be biased, but she couldn't help painting her master as a sadistic slave-driver. Renfield listened quietly, nodding and asking the occasional question. When she finished, he sat for a moment as he contemplated her predicament. Finally he looked over into the shadows, arching an eyebrow before shaking his head.

"Get out here, you dirty old spy," Renfield said calmly. Seras looked over his shoulder, peering into the shadows and seeing nothing. Renfield wiggled his eyebrows at her before whistling, patting the bench. "C'mon now, boy. I see you; he sent you to watch after Seras, didn't he?" She gasped as a large, fluffy dog crawled slowly towards the man on his belly, all 6 eyes watching nervously.

"_Baskerville_!" Seras shouted accusingly, putting her hands on her hips. "You big traitor!"

"Don't be so hard on him, love. He's only doing what his master ordered." Renfield retorted. He scratched the hellhound's head, laughing when the dog beat his leg on the ground. Winking at Seras, he grabbed the dog's neck and pushed him away. Baskerville disappeared with a loud _pop_, and Seras jumped up in alarm.

"What did you do?" she gasped. Renfield tugged her back down.

"He's alright; I just sent a little calling card of my own. Best to get all this straightened out now." Seras frowned; she could tell already that this Renfield character didn't like to tell it straight. She never did enjoy riddles as a kid…. "Sorry to hear that, love." Seras looked over at the man, wondering _what the hell_ he even was. She was about to ask when Alucard appeared, a whining Baskerville in tow.

"Renfield; it's so nice to see you again." Alucard derided, gazing sharply at Seras over his glasses. She felt a pang of fear burst through her veins, and for the first time began to regret her little outburst in the cemetery. Alucard dropped the dog with a thump on the ground, looking in disgust as it yelped and ducked under the bench, peering out at its owner between Seras' legs. Renfield placed an arm around Seras, who immediately felt _safer_, for some odd reason. _It's as if he's going to protect me from Alucard, but this man's no match for Master…_she thought as she stared at Alucard timidly.

"The pleasure's mine, I'm sure Alucard," Renfield replied, looking calm although his hand tightened slightly around Seras' shoulder. "As much as I understand your worry, you should've called your pooch back as soon as I arrived. I'm sure you remember that you appointed me as her temporary guardian," he stated politely.

"Of course, Renfield. However, keeping an eye on Seras was critical at the time. You see, she's a bit of a…flight risk," Alucard said, his tone mocking as he eyed his fledgling, who was now a shaking bundle of nerves. "And besides, she and I have_ private business_ to discuss, so you'll do good to give her back." Seras leaned in closer to Renfield as Alucard's voice turned threatening.

"Can't do it." Renfield shook his head, giving a half-shrug. "As her temporary guardian, I have to provide protection from all forms of harm that may be inflicted on her pretty little body. That includes harm from yourself, old chap." Seras stared between the men as the atmosphere became steadily thicker. Renfield wore a mask of detached calm, but she could feel his muscles tighten as he prepared for an attack. As for her master; well, it was clear he wasn't happy at all with the pair sitting on the bench. She winced as she felt the rage bubbling between their bond, and wondered if she should just give in and take whatever punishment Alucard had thought up.

"P-p-please Master, let's not get into a fight here. The humans are asleep." She said softly, picking up Renfield's arm and laying it in his lap. She stood, holding out her hands imploringly as she made her way to him, wary of any movement on his part. She reached him and looked up at him underneath his hat. He pressed his mind to hers painfully but she didn't make a sound, instead turning her head submissively, eyes downcast. Alucard threw his arm over her in an imitation of Renfield, drawing her under his cloak and dwarfing her as he pulled her close.

"Renfield, my Childe and I need to have a little chat about self-control. I'm afraid you'll have to meet up with her this evening," he said coolly. She gave a tiny nod to Renfield, who sprawled out on the bench and snapped his fingers. Baskerville immediately hopped up in the spot Seras vacated, making himself comfortable.

"So be it. I'll see you this evening, Miss Victoria," he said dismissively, but Seras caught the hidden warning in his voice. He _would_ be there this evening, and he _would_ see her whether Alucard liked it or not. Before she had time to consider the man, she was pulled back into a portal by her master and her mind jumped immediately to terror.

* * *

**Afterword**: So Seras now knows that Renfield is a real creature, and he somehow has a little bit of say-so when it comes to Alucard. Who _is_ this spectacled spectacle? What powers does he have, that he can keep even Baskerville in control? How _will _Seras survive Alucard's punishment? I have no idea!


	12. The Effects of Punishment

**Author's Note**: _Ow, ow, ow….I've been badly sunburned, because I spent all day at a waterpark. I knew a pale shut-in of Irish descent shouldn't have run around without proper hazmat suiting against the sun! ow, oww, owwwwwwwwww….._

* * *

Seras came back to consciousness, her face knitting in pain as she felt her bones scrape themselves back together for the 8th time that night. She couldn't breathe for the ribs piercing her lungs, but that didn't really matter as she was more worried about the unyielding boot currently crushing her pelvis.

"You see, Police Girl? This is what I'm talking about-I'm using my self-control right now, even though I _want _to turn you into a legless mass. Do you understand my example?" the dark voice jeered from somewhere above her.

"Yes, Master," she wheezed, trying to school her face into a blank slate even as the pain blossomed from the air pushing out of her chest. Experience had taught her that showing her pain openly usually led only to-surprise, surprise, more pain. She felt a warranted sense of relief as the boot left her midsection and its owner clomped away to sit with a thump in his chair. She gathered her resolve before she flipped over, gritting her teeth as she stood. Wavering slightly, she stared at the blood-soaked stones that betrayed the night's actions. She rubbed her matted hair, closing her eyes to stop the tears threatening to spill and betray her inner misery. She turned and watched as Alucard waved her over, his eyes malicious behind his frames. Slowly, she began to limp towards the beckoning figure, more frightened of what he'd do if she_ didn't_ come to him.

"I had been wondering when your darker side would come out to play, Police Girl," he purred, making her wonder if her punishment was finally over for the night as he reached an arm out to steady her. "I'm happy to see I wasn't disappointed with the way it manifested itself last night. You truly had me...surprised." She made no remark as she swayed in place, her mind wary of any more sudden attacks. She'd much rather have stayed across the room, but she had already spent most of the night "learning" her place and didn't want a repeat performance. She had been _certain_ that he was going to kill her when he kicked her skull in the fourth time…. She blinked wearily at him, weak beyond the point of caring anymore. He carefully took off his glasses, wiping the blood and filth off the lenses onto his shirt, which still looked neat and tidy despite the sticky splatters her entrails had made.

"Have you learned your lesson?" he inquired softly. Seras pulled the last of her energy into a slow nod. She's _more_ than learned her lesson. _Never defy Master, and __**most definitely**__ never attack him_. _At least, not until I'm free._ She closed her eyes and tucked the errant thought deep inside, away from her master's prying mind. She wasn't sure if he'd be happy or irritated that she had such defiant thoughts. She was used to Alucard's changing moods, but every time she thought she figured out his patterns he threw her for a loop, making her doubt her own mind. It was infuriating, but she was the servant and he the master, so she could _never_ let him know her thoughts on the matter.

She opened her eyes and saw a glass wavering in her vision, full to the brim with blood. She realized that she was_ starving_; her blood-loss had left her emptier than she'd been in years. She gratefully took the glass in both hands and gulped the drink in record time, greedily licking the edge before handing it back. She reddened as the blood rushed through her system, and she watched Alucard survey her. His face showed that strange mix of emotion that he usually kept reserved for only her. She'd seen the expression before-in the hotel at Rio de Janiro, in her room when she first arrived at Hellsing, and several other times scattered throughout their years together. She wasn't sure what it meant, but it seemed to be a wild concoction of recognition and slight guilt.

"Go. Sleep," he dismissed her with a wave and she quickly ran out of the room, heading straight for her coffin. It simply wouldn't do to go against his orders now.

She tucked herself resignedly into her little bed, the earthen bottom relaxing her and sending miniscule bursts of energy back into her bones. She gazed sleepily at the lid, tracing the patterns in the wood with her eyes. She was too tired to know if she was still angry with the way Alucard treated her. She knew she was in pain, and embarrassed from the outburst; but was she still so frustrated and vengeance-bound? Not particularly- it was as if letting the darkness out, even for that small moment, had released_ mountains_ of pent-up energy and emotion in one push. It was almost….exhilarating; being swept into the nightmare of her own darker self. She shivered and closed her eyes, focusing on the black beyond her lids. Those kinds of thoughts were just too creepy to dwell on.

* * *

Her first thought when she awoke was that she was hungry. The second was that she was _sticky_. Seras crawled sleepily out of bed and over to the dresser, where her mirror sat along with several things she'd collected over the years. She gasped at her reflection. She was covered in blood, her hair tinged pink and her skin mottled and cracked under the dried mask. Her hair was twisted and matted, but Seras didn't care, instead turning to the back. She breathed a sigh of relief; her wounds had pretty much healed and it looked as though she'd grown all her hair back. She touched her scalp tenderly, wincing. _I look terrible, but it's nothing a bath and breakfast won't fix_.

She quickly looked both ways in the hall before running at vampire speed to the showers, glad that no humans lurked nearby. She threw open the door and promptly smacked into Abby, who was just returning from her own soak. Abby took one look at Seras and opened her mouth, but her scream was lost as Seras pushed one hand firmly on the woman's mouth, the other held to her own lips.

"Shh. It's okay." Abby said something, muffled by Seras' hand. She took her fingers away from the historian, who grabbed her and dragged her into the showers, locking the door.

"Seras! What the hell happened!?" she whisper-screamed. "Look at you!" Seras winced, gesturing to Abby to keep her voice down as she glanced toward the door.

"I'm okay. I forgot to wash up after Master let me leave, is all." Abby gaped at Seras for a long moment before her face twisted in anger.

"He's been abusing you?! I'll kill him. I'm going to murder him, find a spell to bring him back, and then I'll kill him again. That son of a-" Seras clapped her hand back over the woman, shhing her silently.

"Don't say that sort of stuff! Do you want him to come here? Those kinds of insults practically summon him! " Seras said, only half-joking. "Please; I won't ask for much, but let me handle these things _on my own_," she whispered sharply. She saw Abby preparing to argue and shook her head, flakes of blood drifting onto her shoulders like dandruff. "Remember-he's not from our time. You're the historian; you know that our ways aren't his ways. I'm begging you, _don't interfere_." Abby sighed against the Draculina's hand and tore her mouth away. She gave Seras a trying look before shaking her head and leading her to the showers.

"You're going to need some help getting that blood off," she said quietly, turning on the faucets and warming the water. Seras began to strip down, gingerly pulling off the clothing that had dried on her back as it ripped from her flesh like a Band-Aid. Abby helped Seras into the stream of water and promptly began to scrub the dried mess out of her hair. Seras relaxed under the woman's touch, sensing that some unspoken agreement had passed between the pair of them. She grabbed the soap, listening to Abby's huffs of exertion as she roughly combed the chunks out of Seras' tresses. It took three scrubbings and a half a bottle of shampoo, but finally Seras stepped out of the shower, clean and good as new. Abby dried her arms on Seras' towel, looking at her handiwork with a short nod.

"Next time, come and get me before it dries," Abby said carefully, her tone asking if there'd even _be _a next time. Seras shrugged, fluffing her hair in the foggy mirror. She looked over at the woman and smiled bashfully.

"Thank you," Seras replied. She knew that her friend would keep this a secret between them, and Enoch wouldn't be troubled by the thought of torture happening below his feet. It truly made her feel grateful to have someone to lean on that wasn't a man. She wiped a spot on the mirror and ran a comb through her damp hair once more before she felt certain of its appearance. Renfield would be here soon, and the thought crossed her mind that she wanted him to see her pretty and _not _covered in blood, for once. She admired herself vainly for a moment before looking at the clock on the wall. _Just enough time to say my goodbyes to Master before I leave._

* * *

Seras hesitated only for a moment before knocking rapidly on Alucard's door. She waited patiently until it swung open on its own before walking inside, turning to close it behind her. Alucard sat in the same spot she'd seen him last night; the only difference was the absence of her bodily fluids on his clothing and the ground. She half-wondered who'd cleaned it up as she made her way to his side. She stopped close to his arm, and did a small curtsy when he glared up at her, his expression unreadable.

"G'evening, Master," she chirped politely, all of her anger towards him disappeared over her sleep. _I suppose I just needed to let it all out. Daddy always said that it did no good keeping your emotions all bottled up…_ She felt her smile slip off her face as she caught sight of the strange glow in his eyes. "Master, is-is something wrong?" She felt her heart jump in concern at his gloomy countenance and dropped to her knees beside his chair, resting her hands on his arm. "Did you get some bad orders?" she guessed, not exactly sure what would force such a depressed look on him. He was usually-well, not happy, but he would usually be out having his own cruel fun at others' expense.

"Why aren't you afraid?" was the only reply, so quiet Seras had to lean forward to hear him. She blinked, tilting her head in confusion.

"What?" she blurted out in his face, still leaned over the armrest. He shoved her off of him, sending her sprawling on the stone floor as he towered over her. She gasped, scrambling for a purchase to stand back up.

"_Why aren't you afraid of me_?" he roared, the shadows bouncing around the room in time with his voice. Seras quivered slightly, more at the loud voice accosting her eardrums than anything else. She stuck a pinky in her ear, scratching as she rose.

"Am I supposed to be?" she asked innocently, but hummed nervously as she caught the daggers in his gaze. He stalked around her, growling when she didn't turn and follow his gaze. "I don't know Master, really!" she sputtered hurriedly, trying to decide why he was still _so angry_ with her. Usually, he delighted enough in her punishments that he didn't hold her transgressions against her afterwards. _Didn't he even say that I didn't disappoint him, or was that just me hallucinating again? _

"I beat you, torture you; you say you _hate_ me, you _can't stand_ me, but _never _have you said you fear me," he sounded calm. _Too calm_. Seras found herself backed up with her knees against the chair, and she fell backwards into it ungracefully. He leaned over her with both hands on the arms of the chair, his gaze both furious and desperate. "Even as a human, you shot at me but I couldn't sense any terror. Even in the end, you only had fear for the priest; I've done things to you far worse than he but you still don't dread me. I almost killed you last night, but tonight you show up with no anxiety at all. _Why not_?"

"I don't need to fear you, Master. I never have," Seras admitted, trying not to spit in his face as she spoke. She pushed herself under his arm, crawling out of the chair and brushing her clothes off. "Even as a human, I just...knew." Alucard growled again as she walked away, his shadows receding slightly.

"You knew nothing," he hissed. "I could have killed you without breaking a sweat." Seras nodded.

"And you did, if I remember correctly," she laughed, arching an eyebrow as she hopped onto his table, her own personal perch when he allowed her to visit him. She swung her legs childishly, ignoring his eyes on her. "I suppose Renfield will be here soon, Master?" she asked, trying to change the subject. When she had no answer, she looked over questioningly to find him beside her. "Master, when you give me a reason to be scared of you, _I promise _that I'll be the best terrified Draculina I can be."

She saw his lips twitch in the slightest ghost of a smile and beamed up at him in return, leaning over to bump her head against his stomach affectionately. _That _was why she could never be afraid of her master, no matter what horrible things he did to her. Even though he vehemently denied being human anymore, he still carried those mortal feelings somewhere, buried under his absolutely sadistic personality. She knew he was a murderer, and basically a bad man in general, but he was also a man who could smile and cry and feel bad about punishing the one person who liked him. _Well, maybe that last part was a bunch of rubbish, but he can smile and cry I know, _Seras thought privately.

Alucard huffed and popped her backside off the table lewdly; his mind sweeping hers quickly before waving a hand, his customary blood and two glasses appearing from thin air. Seras had moved to sit in his chair, looking like a 5-year-old as her feet hung a good few inches off the floor. He considered her, phasing away for a moment before returning with one of the tinier gilded chairs from the main ballroom. He sat it squarely beside his own, and Seras hopped over and took the bottle to pour the glasses as her master reclaimed his seat.

"You misunderstood me the other night, Police Girl," he drawled as Seras poured his glass. She handed it to him before she poured her own, giving herself only half as much. She sat in the tiny chair, looking at their reflection in his own mirror. The way they sat, it reminded her of the King and Queen in her old childhood storybooks. _Well, he is a king, but I'll never be a queen. Perhaps I'm the princess?_ She chuckled at the thought and he glanced over at her, draining his glass.

"Nothing, Master," she answered his unasked question. "What do you mean, misunderstood?" she sipped her blood daintily, not wanting to seem unladylike in the presence of the king.

"I mean your tiny little brain took things for granted again, Draculina," he purred cruelly, patting her like a little lapdog. She gave him her best "Master, you're mean" look in return but said nothing, slumping down in her chair instead. "You have to remember that I wasn't a willing participant of that ceremony the first time."

"I'm not either, Master! I don't want to be a slave like you!" she exclaimed without thinking. She froze, trying to voice an apology but relaxed at the slightly-amused expression on Alucard's face. He leaned over, tracing a gloved finger on her nose.

"You, of all people should know that I have my own reasons for serving a human master," he said, although his tone warned her that she was being spared this one time only. Seras took a deep breath, nodding as he returned to his previous position.

"I know that," she agreed. "But, I would think-I mean, I'd like to hope that you…" she paused, thinking of exactly_ what_ it was she wanted him to understand. She suddenly felt her breath catch in her throat, her good mood drying up under the realization of what it was she was so worried about. Suddenly, the cavernous room seemed too small and she felt the urge to throw herself on him, begging him to save her.

"Don't abandon me, Master. Please," she pleaded quietly, desperately. She screwed her eyes shut, not wanting to look at him. _He hates weakness_, she repeated in her mind, a personal mantra on how to deal with Alucard on a day-to-day basis.

She heard nothing from him, and cautiously opened one eye to look out for anything from a slap to a gunshot. She felt his mind pulsing through her own; mental barriers be damned as he was looking at _everything_. She felt fabric brush her clenched jaw slightly, and peered up to see him giving her _that_ look again. _Twice in a week, a new record for you! _She crowed sarcastically, getting a confused mental push from him as to what she was talking about. He said nothing to either comfort or invite her worries, and after a long moment she opened her eyes to stare at him balefully.

"Congratulations Master. You've finally found a way for me to be afraid of you," she whispered, her voice breaking. Alucard narrowed his eyes at her, standing abruptly and walking to the far side of the room.

"Renfield's here," he said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Go with him; he'll take care of you." Seras stood, placing her unfinished glass on the table. She walked a few paces toward him, wondering if he was angry with her. Something in her needed him to promise to be here when she returned, and she felt nothing but pure anxiety over his dismissal. She swallowed her fears and reached a hand to his cloak with the intent of pulling him back to her.

"Master-"

"I said _leave_!" he barked and she turned tail and ran out the door, remembering only later that she forgot to say goodbye.

* * *

**Afterword:** Um, lots of things happened here. I crammed it all in. hope it's not too much information. We'll learn more about the ceremony and Renfield's part when the time comes, don't worry. _(This really means that I'm still not sure how I'm going to go about it. __**Shh.**__)_

"I know I'm going to let Enoch wear Integra's Hokage cosplay. (Kudos to you if you get that joke)  
On another note, so now Seras gets to go with Renny. What mischief will ensue?


	13. Renfield's Home

**Author's Note:** I am awfully fond of my Torterra. Write _that_ in your English books, mother truckers!

* * *

Renfield was chatting pleasantly with the Hellsing couple when Seras came bounding up the stairs with her suitcase in one hand, her face mottled as though she'd been sobbing. The trio stopped mid-sentence, staring for a moment as Seras struggled to regain her composure. Seeing them standing there, she shook her head and grabbed Renfield's sleeve, dragging him to the door with her. He protested slightly, pulling back as he reached toward Enoch, but Seras threw her weight at the door.

"We have to leave!" she shouted, her boots sliding on the waxed floors. She ignored Abby's confused questioning and gasped when an arm snaked around her and quickly walked to the door with her.

"I dare say we'll meet up again soon, Hellsing! But for now I must leave; best to not to keep women waiting, you know!" Renfield called over his shoulder. "Hold tight to your traps, love," he whispered in Seras' ear, and before she could ask _what in the hell_ that meant he'd tightened his arms and threw them both forward. Seras felt her head caving from immense pressure before her ears popped and she fell against the man, suitcase threatening to fall from her hand.

"What-_urp,"_ Seras managed to say before she gagged and slumped to the ground in a faint. She came to not a minute later, sitting up slowly as her head finally caught up with her body. Renfield was supporting her back, fanning her with a kerchief. "Oh," she moaned, resting her forehead against his shoulder until the world stopped spinning.

"I know it's tough the first time, but I promise that the nausea will pass soon," he comforted in his normal, cheery tone. Seras didn't move, instead keeping her eyes screwed shut as a tear escaped. Her emotional turmoil, physical weariness, and complete lack of sleep kept piling on her shoulders until she couldn't help but burst into sobs. She was completely embarrassed, a part of her wondering if she'd ever be able to stand next to Renfield without blubbering like an idiot. She felt the man wrap an arm around her, rocking her softly as she wailed against his shoulder. It was worse than when Integra died, because this time she cried more for her master than herself. She slowly felt the burden leaving her and began to quiet down, still sniffling as she pulled away, mortified as she gazed at his blood-stained shirt. He gave her the kerchief, allowing her to wipe her eyes as he comforted her like her father used to when she was a little girl and had a scraped elbow.

"I'm sorry; I'm a mess," she choked out, patting her face dry. Renfield said nothing, simply rubbing her shoulder and humming some strange song she'd never heard before. She sighed finally, some part of her deciding that her master's problems were his; she had more than enough to worry about without dealing with him, too. She felt something press down on her, weaving in her mind and relaxing her. She flexed her muscles, thinking for a moment before looking at her companion. "Are you casting a spell on me?" Renfield shrugged.

"I'm only dulling the stress for a moment. You don't have the strength to handle it at the moment. You're tired, love," he cooed gently, reminding her of Alucard's "hypnotizing" voice. She nodded faintly, although with a tone like his she'd agree that it would be best to sacrifice her to a demon at the moment. Her brain felt fuzzy. She shook her head, sitting another moment before standing to look at the village in the valley below them. It looked like the Christmas village her mother had sat out on the kitchen table every year, the kind that had tiny skating figures on a pond and carolers in front of the church.

"Where are we?" Seras asked, watching the miniscule figures running around the village streets. Renfield gestured behind her, and she turned to see an old-fashioned set of gates and a large path that curved its way into the wood.

"That's my gate. We're officially sitting on the spot where my land begins." Seras nodded, standing up and swaying slightly before picking up the suitcase.

"So your home is in the woods?" she asked hesitantly. Renfield shook his head.

"No, we have to get through the woods. My _humble_ abode is on the other side." Seras peered at a couple strolling by the gate on their way back to the village. Seras nodded at them, but they ignored her and continued on their way.

"Rude!" she snorted indignantly, feeling slightly hurt. Renfield laughed, taking the suitcase from Seras' hand and swinging it idly.

"Don't hold it against them. I have enough incantations on these grounds to hide it from both mortal_ and_ immortal eyes. Don't want the wrong kind hanging around, you see." Seras glanced at him, and he pointed to a strange set of symbols in the stones on the gate. "Only two people can get in without my help, and that's Alucard and Ariel."

"Who's Ariel?" Seras inquired, before smirking. She wondered if she still had it in her to tease someone. "Is she your girlfriend?" Renfield turned pink but shook his head, starting off down the path with Seras' luggage in tow. She followed, gazing silently at the moon over the wood as she fell into step with the man. She waited, but he gave no more information about the mysterious Ariel, instead pointing out more spells written into the trees themselves.

With all the spells, Renfield seemed to be the paranoid type. But the more Seras thought about it, the more she understood why you wouldn't want mortal people bothering you and sneaking over your gate without your permission. And the way that Renfield and her master hinted at things, if the bad kind of supernatural creatures out there were worse than Alucard, she definitely didn't want to meet them! She shivered, hurrying to keep the long-legged man's stride.

She studied him in the filtered moonlight as they walked through the trees. He didn't appear to be much older than thirty-forty at the _most_. He didn't have any prominent wrinkles on his face other than pale laugh lines, but at the same time he carried an air of maturity and experience that made him seem much older than he appeared. Renfield held that same strange, ageless quality that Alucard had in both his gaze and his features. It made him seem mysterious and slightly sexy. Seras suddenly had the strangest urge to see him without those gigantic glasses hanging onto his face. Would he look any younger without those gawky wire frames? He looked down, noticing her potent stare and smiled. Seras decided that she enjoyed his smile. It lit up his eyes and made him seem like a child, whimsy and delight shining from within.

"Not too much farther now, my dear. I suppose you're anxious to settle down and rest before the sun burns that pretty skin of yours." Seras flushed slightly at his words- the way he said them was different than she'd ever heard before. He called her pretty; it wasn't the _mocking_ sort of pretty Alucard used when calling out her vanity or the _lewd_ pretty the newer soldiers always shouted at her. This was the sort of pretty that made her_ feel_ pretty, instead of embarrassed or irritated.

"You-you think I'm pretty?" she asked shyly, avoiding all eye-contact until she got her girlish tendencies under control. It made her feel better instantly, instead of stressed and tired and…just plain gross. She felt him pause in confusion before answering.

"Of course I do, love. You're quite the beauty; I'm surprised you don't think so-oh, we're here!" Seras looked up, gasping at the sight before her.

* * *

Renfield's house wasn't a house at all; it was a _mansion_. Sprawling across the grassy lawn, the sandstone-colored brickwork was a testament to time itself. It looked as though it'd been pulled straight from an old book on Victorian-era mansions. The windows were arched and gorgeous, sparkling in the night and the ivy climbing the Eastern wall added only to the overall picture. The house had turrets, spiraling up in a fairy-tale fashion until they reached the top, which was an old belfry-bell and all. Seras held her hands up to her mouth, awed at the sight. Renfield winked at her, whistling a tune before walking on up the path to the front door. He got about halfway there before Seras snapped to attention, running after him.

"Mr. Renfield! Your house is _amazing_!" she gushed. Renfield chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. He reached the front door and opened it, gesturing to Seras to come inside.

"It's warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and that's enough for me," He replied as he closed the door behind her. Seras found herself speechless again as she gazed at the painted vaulted ceiling in the foyer, lamps glittering all around the three stories and five staircases. Renfield peered up with her, amused by her reaction. "The painting is the story of Faust. I had it done just to irritate Alucard whenever he comes to visit. He_ hates_ that story."

"Why?" Seras asked absentmindedly, wondering where all the staircases went to. It seemed that three of them stopped on empty air, but that couldn't be right, could it?

"I don't know; something about having himself portrayed as a black poodle. Not a very frightening image, don't you think?" Renfield said cheekily. Seras giggled, agreeing. Renfield hopped up one staircase, Seras' suitcase still in tow. "Come along, my dear! Your room is this way." Seras turned and trailed behind Renfield.

* * *

_So many twists and turns!_ Seras felt her head spinning again as Renfield turned again and scurried down another rugged hallway. Seras couldn't help but be reminded of the Winchester House, with all the endless corridors and staircases and archways that seemed to go _nowhere_. She groaned internally and tried to keep up, but the sun was already coming up and she was bone-tired. Finally Renfield stopped and stamped his foot on the ground, looking uncharacteristically irritated.

"Don't you know where we're going?" Seras jumped, thinking that he meant her but Renfield seemed to be speaking to the wall. Finally he started walking again and she followed, trying to remember if that arch had been there before. She almost cried in relief when he stopped beside a door with a tiny gold plate that read "Seras V." He opened the door, and she peered inside to see an empty white room with white floors and her coffin neatly against the far corner. She stepped inside, looking around for a dresser or vanity or anything. Renfield stepped in behind her, peering around as well before humming thoughtfully.

"It's barren now, but after you get a good night's sleep I'm sure it will get itself sorted out." he assured her. Although she had no idea what he meant, the notion of sleeping seemed _amazing _at the moment. Seras nodded wearily, and Renfield patted her shoulder. "I've got some questions for you, but they'll wait until the morning. Go on and get into your coffin, I'll take care of the suitcase."

She complied without a second thought, lying down in the coffin and closing the lid in one movement. She heard the door close as Renfield left, and had half a thought to contact her master. The memory of his earlier actions stopped her. _He obviously doesn't want to hear me right now..._she thought, before letting all coherency melt away as she fell into darkness.

* * *

Seras was fighting herself. Well, it wasn't _herself_, but at the same time it was _her_. For some reason, it was imperative that she got the other Seras to comply with her, but it was hard when she was being punched and kicked and slapped. For some reason, she had the notion that she could have normally just manhandled herself and gotten forced compliance, but it was all she could do now to hang on! She was trying to reason with the other Seras, but the girl wasn't listening.

"I won't! I _won't_! You can't make me!" the other Seras shouted, slapping her tiny hands against Seras' face. It hurt, but not physically. It was as if each slap went straight to her heart, breaking it just a little more. Seras tried to pin the doppelganger's arms down, but it wasn't working.

"Why not!?" Seras growled in frustration, trying to gain purchase on the Seras-clone's waist. She gasped as the other Seras began to melt, and felt the rays of the sun on her own arms. _Of course_, that was what she wanted Seras to do-she was trying to save her from being burned up in the light of dawn!

"Because you abandoned me," the other Seras whispered before melting away into ash that spilled down and became blood the minute it hit the ground. Seras cried out in anguish, hearing someone else scream with her and the sound echoed forever across time, pained and heartbroken.

* * *

Seras awoke in her coffin, sweaty and gross. She could tell it was still sunny outside, and her sleepiness weighed on her once more. Turning in the coffin, she settled on her stomach with her arm curled up under the pillow. She immediately dropped off, not sensing the ghostly figure that gently pushed the damp hair from her forehead with a silent apology, keeping vigil until the early hours of evening.

* * *

**Afterword:** Damn me and this angsty writing! Poor Seras is an emotional wreck. Can this month with Renny get her back into her normal shape? (I'm also looking forward to showing the powers that Renfield has, with both the house and Seras herself XD)


	14. Silence

**Author's Note:** _I wrote this chapter. And rewrote this chapter. 8 times. I'm tired of this chapter. I want to move on, dammit!_

* * *

Seras woke as she was being petted, her mind fuzzy with a forgotten dream. The hand stilled as she woke, the fingers laced through her hair. She murmured sleepily and tried to open her eyes, but the pressure on her head increased heavily until she groaned in pain. Another hand joined the first and a fierce growling echoed in her ears as they squeezed. She cried out under the attack, struggling weakly as her hunger slowed her movements and fogged her mind. She froze as something suddenly threw itself out her as potent as a shout, fainting away under the overpowering aura immediately.

* * *

Seras dreamed of smells. Cigar smoke and cucumber deodorant accompanied icy blue eyes and platinum hair. Iodine and window cleaner haunted the orphanage halls in her mind. Cloves and earthy musk floated around her master's silent voice, filling the void where he had vanished. She woke quickly, her nose still full of sultry cologne that brought an image of monofilament shimmering as it arched in the air.

"Walter?" she moaned softly, keeping her eyes tightly shut as she curled up into the steady heartbeat under her ear. Her "pillow" shifted and she felt a hand around her waist tighten slightly.

"Want another guess?" Renfield whispered in her ear. Seras screamed and shot up, her forehead knocking into his with a dull thump. She hissed and rubbed her head, opening her eyes in disbelief to see herself curled up in Renfield's lap. Looking around, she deduced that they were in some sort of library.

"Why am I not in my coffin?" Seras ground out, trying to sound steely despite her urge to burrow back into Renfield's warm embrace. Renfield arched his eyebrow at her before bringing his hand to her head, stroking her like a cat. When he reached a certain spot, she cried out in pain and Renfield instantly stopped, clucking at her.

"Is it still hurting, love? I'm sorry. I promise he's never going to hurt you in this house ever again," Renfield cooed with a rather unwavering conviction as he softly caressed her hair, the pain diminishing under his gentle touch. She resisted the impulse to purr, instead simply leaning into his touch slightly.

"_He?_ Who's he?" Seras asked with her eyes half-shut as her earlier weariness doubled on her body tenfold. She slumped against the man, his heart beating ever steadily under her head as she took in _his _scent: he smelled of cedar-wood smoke with an underlying hint of dampened earth-the exact smell of the atmosphere before a strong thunderstorm.

"Alucard, of course. Damn animal that he is, he almost busted you up like a melon before I got to you," Renfield said softly, his voice rumbling in his chest as Seras lay against him. "But then again, I'm more interested in how you managed to move my magic around in your sleep, much less pull him all the way here," he added as an afterthought, more to himself than to her.

"Master's here? Where's he at?" Seras asked drowsily, lulled by Renfield's voice into an almost-stupor. Renfield chuckled and moved her around so that he could reach for a glass lying on a table next to the armchair.

"He's in the basement with his nose in a corner until he decides to act like an adult and not the child he's pretending to be. He grew up a long time ago," Renfield said cheerfully, shining the empty tumbler in his hand before shaking Seras' shoulder. She straightened up, blinking groggily as she watched him draw a nail carefully across his palm. His scent doubled as the blood began to flow into the glass, making her eyes grow wide. She sniffed appreciatively.

"You smell good," she admitted. Renfield colored slightly before drawing his finger backwards over his hand and sealing the wound, making it look as though it were never there. He handed the glass to Seras, who took it with both hands and studied it. His blood is sparkling, almost. _It looks like it's been imbedded with little shards of energy_, she noted. She sniffed the glass, hoping that Renfield's blood wouldn't overpower her like her master's did. She cautiously took a sip, sitting straight up and shivering as it ran down her throat.

_Pure Action_ was the only way to describe it. It was coffee and energy pills and adrenaline and joy and pure addiction all wrapped up in a bomb that exploded into sweet, tangy flavor the minute it hit her tongue. She groaned in ecstasy and took a much longer draught as the thick taste filled her mouth and made her veins sing. It wasn't 30 seconds and the small amount of blood was gone. She wanted to ask for more but the powerful blood made her feel _stuffed_, like she'd felt when she'd went on a binge of Hellsing's blood-freezer in one of her more emotional states.

"Wow! You're…energetic, Mr. Renfield," she stammered, licking her lips. Renfield grinned and reclaimed the glass from her hands.

"It's the life I take-it's in my blood, I guess you could say," Seras had no idea what he was talking about, but at the moment her mind fluttered back to the vampire in the cellar. She'd ask him about his own eating-habits in depth later.

"Can I see Master Alucard?" she inquired demurely, part of her wanting to hear his voice and the other part wanting to rip off his legs and stuff them up his-

"He's on his way back now, but you shouldn't interact. I don't think he'll be very kind to you," Renfield said unconfidently, his jaw set for battle. Seras sighed, making a face.

"What's with you people? Master would never hurt me…badly." Renfield bent his head, staring at her over the rims of his glasses as they slid down his nose. They locked eyes and Seras felt _something _tug at her powers subtly. She frowned, but allowed her powers to merge with it, intertwining and enveloping each other before they both retreated. Renfield pushed his glasses back into place and sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"You can stay in here, but you must pretend to be asleep while the old men are debating," he finally conceded. He pulled her back into his lap and adjusted her again so that she comfortably lay against his chest, her legs tucked over his knees as he sprawled in the armchair. She grinned slightly as she heard his heartbeat quicken for a beat or two before returning to the rhythmic drumming. He patted her arm and she obediently closed her eyes, allowing her powers to branch out. Now that she'd felt a glimpse of Renfield's powers, she could feel him everywhere-laced into the framework of the house, buzzing in the air, weaving in and out of the floorboards…. He wasn't lying when he said that he'd placed many different spells on the place.

She cozied up to him, retreating back into herself. She felt Renfield's power push hers again and she allowed him entry into her mind. He pushed somewhere and retreated, and she realized that he'd put her into a waking trance. She was alert, but at the same time her body and mind gave the appearance of sleep. She mentally thanked him for the help, uncertain if he could hear her or not. Quietly, they both waited for the inevitable.

* * *

"Damn you." The cold tone would send the Devil himself packing, but Renfield merely hummed and continued to stroke Seras' hair absentmindedly. Seras shivered mentally, but outside gave no impression that she was awake to the world.

"Shh. She's asleep. After what you did, she's got a lot of strength to gain back," Renfield whispered dramatically, waving Alucard over like he was an old friend there for tea. Even with her eyes closed tightly, she could feel Renfield's dramatic body language as he almost shook her off of him, his knees being the only thing keeping her in place. It was quiet for a long moment, before Alucard spoke dangerously close to her ear.

"Give her to me, Renfield," he demanded. Seras waited with bated breath and counted 50 heartbeats before the answer came.

"No. I'm not to be handing her over to a monkey-crosser like you," he said unhappily as he tightened his arms around Seras possessively

"Monkey crosser?" Alucard said, slight confusion lacing his voice. Renfield froze before gasping.

"Oh, pardon me! I meant _manky tosser_. 'xcuse the slip-up." Seras blushed, hearing the underlying jab in Renfield's more-than-colorful language. Alucard growled, but Renfield just tittered, vibrating Seras slightly in the process. "What? Did you still not understand? I said that you were a _nenorocit_." Seras didn't understand the language, but Alucard immediately roared, and she _felt_ the room go dark from his rage. "Shh! She's sleeping!"

"Give her now." Seras huddled in her own mind, feeling a twinge of fear for her host. Then, something strange happened. She saw the hole her fear made in her mind, a tiny opening about the size of her pinky. It was a hole against a barrier, but the barrier was translucent except for the _obvious_ hole. Seras contemplated the hole, pushing against it to make it grow into a Seras-sized gap that she easily slipped through.

Suddenly, she was no longer immobile! She feigned wakefulness, stretching and sighing softly before sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She opened her eyes to look first at Alucard, who was wearing some sort of straightjacket, strap-loaded deal that left little to the imagination. She then turned to Renfield who was gawking at her with his jaw dropped, obviously dumbfounded. She continued her act, pretending to be surprised to find herself on Renfield's lap and pushing off of him, stumbling onto her feet.

"Master?" she said shyly, meeting his eyes with confusion. "What are you doing here?" Alucard grabbed her arm, forcing her across the space to be pulled flush with his body, the buckles pressing into her skin. She made a noise of protest and squirmed, trying to break free of his vice grip. Renfield didn't react, his face still plastered with astonishment.

"We're going home now, Seras. You'll conclude your month elsewhere." Seras stopped wriggling to stare up into Alucard's eyes, shocked.

"I've only been here one night! I don't want to leave!" she protested, stamping her foot childishly on the carpet. She resumed her maneuvering, trying to push his hand off her arm before he bruised her.

"Did I say you could _choose_?" he shouted, pulling her up by the arm to bring her face level with his, noses touching. She whimpered and kicked her feet in the air, trying to get down. "I see now how you've been spoilt while I've been gone these last 40 years. It's time to remind you how to follow your sire's orders," he spit cruelly, venom creeping into every word. Seras was grateful he wasn't using mind-punishment as well, although _why _he wasn't she couldn't fathom.

* * *

Something stirred in the back of her mind, and she pushed against him, suddenly needing to get away from him and _breathe_ for a moment. He held her in the air, and her feeling of entrapment grew worse as the seconds ticked by. She began to panic, hitting him everywhere with her shadow-arm and kicking with her feet. She managed to knock his head aside hard enough to make him drop her back to the ground, but before she could escape his shadows snaked around her waist, keeping her from running.

In full panic-mode now Seras screamed shrilly, hurting her own ears as she pounded against him for all she was worth. _Getawaygetawaygetaway__**now!**_She couldn't think properly, her mind jumping back to being attacked by her own ghoulish comrades in the halls at Hellsing, the Valentine's laughter ringing in her ears with the sound of moans and groping hands…. She slapped at his face, raking her claws along the leather of his outfit.

"It's futile, Childe. _You will come with me,_" Alucard commanded firmly, trying to grab her wrists when she made a move to gouge out his eyes. Seras shrieked and pulled away, slapping him _hard_ against the jaw and hearing it crack. She closed her eyes, hitting blindly with her sixth sense as she tried to block his presence out.

"I won't! I _won't_! You can't make me!" she howled, and suddenly the shadows released her as if she'd burned them with sunlight. She opened her eyes, backing away to see Alucard staring at her, his face contorted with something akin to pain. He made a strange sound in the back of his throat and reached for her, but she shook her head and crouched slightly, cowering. "Don't_ touch_ me."

She backed past Renfield's chair, the occupant of which had finally come to and had been watching Seras' attack with conflicting feelings of "I want to help" and "Best stay out of this one". She hit the edge of the end table, suddenly feeling trapped again. But this time, she knew anywhere near Alucard would be too close for her. She needed to be alone. She felt the house's magic pushing at her, and she made a desperate grab for it, the thought of being as far away from here as possible flashing throughout her mind. She watched as Alucard and Renfield leaped forward, making grabs for her and yelling something but her ears popped and they vanished, being replaced by nothing but white.

She blinked in surprise and glanced around, realizing that she was in the middle of a blizzard. She wasn't cold, but that didn't surprise her. At least it was quiet, the roaring wind soothing her frayed nerves. She sat down in the snow, her mind finally at peace. Some part of her warned her that she spent way too much energy moving with Renfield's magic, but at the moment, she didn't care. She lay in the snow, spreading out her phantom limb and letting the shadows make patterns in the drifts. It was so quiet! All she wanted to do now was sleep….

* * *

**Afterword-** Well, then! Seras is done gone! How'd she do that? It will all be explained, next chapter!


	15. Poison

**Author's Note: This is a short one. I'm sorry (flails about sadly)**

* * *

_Thank goodness she's here!_

_Such a pretty dear; who'd dare to-_

…_out in the snow, fast asleep._

_Someone wanted to get a message across._

…_calling the Council if-_

* * *

Seras opened her eyes. Her first thought was that she felt _different_. Her head was much clearer, although she never remembered it being very foggy to begin with. She flexed her muscles, stretching drowsily before sitting up. Rubbing one eye, she looked blearily at the colorful pattern on the blanket-_wait, blanket?_ She went into defensive mode, her muscles tensing as she pulled the room's shadows closer subconsciously.

"You're awake. Good," a familiar voice rumbled behind her. Twisting around, she peered over the high headboard to see Alucard sprawled in a chair close by, between her and the door. She ducked back down behind the headboard before rethinking and peering over it carefully, eyeing the man. She felt a pang of nervousness-when she last saw him she'd almost broken his jaw. Looking him over, she breathed a sigh of relief when he appeared to be benevolent, dressed in his usual red wear san sunglasses.

"Good...evening, Master?" she said hesitantly. He grinned.

"Good _morning_, Police Girl. It's actually past your bedtime." Seras nodded before seeing her uniform hanging up on a pole over the fireplace on the wall. She looked down; fingering the oversized white undershirt she wore with a slight blush. _Who undressed me?_ She pointed over at her clothes speechlessly, afraid of the answer. Alucard chuckled.

"Sadly, Lady Sedna threw me out when she changed you. Apparently your clothing was soaked with snow and half-frozen." Seras felt her shoulders slump haggardly, making a mental note to thank whoever Lady Sedna was later. She reared up on her knees and crossed her arms on the top of the headboard, resting her chin on them as she gazed silently at the seated man. She felt a sudden wave of guilt for hitting him in the library. She didn't even remember the feeling that made her want to hit him-it was as if she just wasn't herself at the moment.

"Master?" she asked. When he raised his eyebrow at her, she continued. "I'm sorry." She felt herself wilt slightly under his stare, almost sure that he was still angry with her. She tapped the headboard restlessly when he didn't answer immediately. She didn't even feel him in her mind at the moment; that was usually a sure sign that he was royally pissed (at her) and didn't want to talk to anyone (especially her).

"You never told me you felt ill," he finally started accusingly. Seras blinked in surprise, rising up off her arms.

"I never felt ill, I don't think…" she racked her brain, trying to think back to the past few days. She hadn't been sick-hell; she'd not gotten sick since she'd become a nightwalker. "I don't think I've been sick once since I joined Hellsing. Not that I was often sick as a little girl, anyway." Thinking back to her own thoughts, she corrected herself. "Although, when I first woke up I just happened to think that my thoughts were _clearer_ than before."

Alucard stood, his boot clomping on the wooden floor as he made his way to the bed. Seras turned as she watched him, until he was standing less than an inch from her. She frowned and tugged down the edge of the shirt and he scoffed quietly, pulling off his overcoat and throwing it on her head. She happily detangled herself from the thick fabric and modestly wrapped up, not bothering to put her arms in the much-too-long sleeves. She felt the bed sag as he sat next to her, close but not touching. He stared into the fire, his face twisted in irritation. Seras glanced at him quietly, unsure if she was the object of his bad mood or not.

"You were poisoned," he stated finally. "It's my fault for not noticing it sooner-I'd just thrown your behavior aside as a little defiant streak. It seems that I've grown lax in my servitude," he added, more to himself than to her. Seras' eyes widened in shock, and she stammered a moment before collecting her thoughts.

"P-_poisoned_? How-but who-how do you know?" she sputtered, clutching the coat tighter around her as if it would protect her from the room's imaginary assassins. Alucard looked at her, his lips tight.

"Sudden violent tendencies, mood swings, impaired thinking, restless sleep, fever: you had all of the classic symptoms of blood-poisoning in Midians. And I ignored every one of them." He spat, and Seras realized with a jolt that he was angry with _himself._ She reached an arm out hesitantly toward his shoulder, rubbing it quickly before retreating.

"It's alright, Master. I'm sure that-"

"It is _not_ alright. Had it gone on unchecked for even another _day _I would have lost you." He clenched his jaw, eyes distant.

"I would have died?" Seras prompted, her mind trying to wrap around the fact that she had been one day from Death's door.

"You would have been walking dead. The Council would have had you killed, King's blood or not," Alucard admitted quietly. Seras shook her head, turning slightly to face him better.

"I don't understand." She looked up at him, something twisting internally at the look on his face, one she'd never seen there before-a mixture of disgust and resignation, tinged with sadness.

"When a human child gets blood-poisoning, the long lasting results leave them, most of the time…impaired. Mentally unable to function. With fledglings, the same incapacity happens, but on a larger scale." He sighed. "This poison is very ancient, as old as us nightwalkers ourselves. While a full-grown vampire would have no issue dispelling the toxin, our fledglings have no such strength. They falter and become incompetent because the blood has no way of leaving their system."

"So you just kill them because they become mentally unstable?" Seras gasped. "That's just wrong! I'm sure that they still hold some part of themselves-just because they don't function like you or me doesn't mean that-" She stopped suddenly as Alucard grabbed her chin, making her look him in the eyes.

"_They are a danger to us._ These incapable vampires no longer care about being seen, or who they feed from, or where they are. They can't comprehend orders, and many times in the past they've come close to wiping us out by giving away our secret to the world. _Vampires don't exist_. Do you want every government knocking down our doors, scientists scraping the skin from our bodies just to watch it grow back?" he snarled, shaking her chin for emphasis. Seras shook her head, breaking eye contact shamefully. Alucard's touch became gentle, rubbing her chin as he pulled away. "We do this for the greater good, Seras. It's not easy, for any of us."

Seras said nothing, her heart heavy for all those unknown fledglings. She scooted over until she was leaned up against Alucard, seeking any amount of comfort as she tucked herself more deeply into his jacket. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and listening to his even breathing. _Even though Master doesn't need to breathe, he still does it just like I do. _

"I won't be killed, will I?" she asked softly, her voice muffled by his arm.

"No. Lady Sedna was able to get it out of you in time. But now all of your meals come by me first. I will hunt for you. This is final, Police Girl." Seras raised her eyes up to see the firm expression on his face and nodded. "Good. If you hunger, even for just a snack, you need only ask me."

"Alright." She felt his arm shift around her and she dropped lower until her cheek rest against his chest. "Can I still stay at Mr. Renfield's?" she asked timidly.

"You're going to have to, until I can figure out who's trying to kill you. At much as I _despise_ him, Renfield's house is the safest place in Europe to stay and I trust him to watch after you, although keeping you out of trouble seems to be harder than either of us thought since you can apparently manipulate his energy," he said testily, but Seras heard the underlying pride ringing in his tone.

"Is that what I did? Hmm." She felt his breathing put her in a drowsy trance, it's even rising and falling rocking her slightly. "Master, I'm happy that-I'm happy," she said truthfully, closing her eyes. She heard him hum noncommittally above her, but she didn't care. At the moment, she was content.

* * *

** Afterword**-This is a small piece compared to my other chapters, but I promise more to come later!


	16. A Newfound Friend

**Author's Note**- (breaks into song and dance)

_So…if…you…really like my work  
and want to see a little more  
Just check out my profile page and  
Vote-on-the-poll; you don't even have to scroll!_

_And also please review  
to tell me what I am do-  
ing wrong or doing right  
you don't have to take all night  
just a simple phrase or two  
will do! Please?_

Also-thanks-for-being-here-today, hooray!

_(_Pants heavily from the exertion of dancing) Enjoy-_gasp_-this-_huff _-chapter! (Collapses)

* * *

"What's the time?" Seras said sleepily, sitting straight up. "Patrol already?" She blinked and stared for a moment at the dark, hooded figure staring at her beside the bed before letting out a small shriek and backing across the bed, ending up sprawled over her master's lap. Looking up at him, she shuddered at his wide grin and froze, unsure of whether to pull back forward or continue across his lap-both ideas involved passing her body over a _certain_ part of his anatomy. His smirk grew even wider and threatened to split his face as he heard her thoughts and she fidgeted nervously.

The dark figure held out a helpful hand. Seras quickly took it, choosing the lesser of two evils. After she was re-balanced, the figure let down the hood to reveal a six-year-old child in a fur parka, her dark skin and ebony plaits blending in with the shadows. Her chubby face was fixed into an expression of perpetual apathy. The girls' eyes were especially interesting-a dark blue, the color of the bottom of the ocean and mixed with jasper and turquoise around dark pupils. The wide-eyed gaze reminded Seras of a sea lion she once saw at the zoo as a child.

"Are you feeling well?" the child asked in a slow, gentle voice. Seras nodded, flexing her arm muscles and stretching.

"I think that I'm better," she replied confidently.

"Of course you are. With all new blood any Midian _should _feel refreshed," the child coincided. Seras stopped her mental evaluation and stared at the child questionably before looking over her shoulder at Alucard, who hadn't moved from his spot against the headboard.

"This is Lady Sedna. She's the closest thing to a doctor any vampire needs. She's spent years perfecting the art of blood transfusions-the only way to keep a poisoned bloodsucker from deteriorating," Alucard explained. Seras oohed, her eyes growing wide before turning to view Sedna again. _I imagined her being…older, Master_, she admitted reluctantly.

_Don't underestimate her for her appearance. Sedna is one of the oldest Midians in the world. She's __**almost **__as powerful as I. _Seras hummed, surprised. She'd known that her creator was in a league of his own, but to have someone even strike close to that power was almost nerve-wracking. The vampire in question cleared her throat loudly, motioning toward Seras.

"Off with the cover-up, my dear. I need to check your organs for festering," she said, prodding Seras gently off the bed and towards the fireplace. "You-out," she ordered Alucard, gesturing to the door with her thumb. Alucard leered, deliberately leaning back further into the headboard.

"And miss the show? I think not." He stretched out along the bed, his heels clunking against the footboard as he turned to view the girls. Sedna glared at him in a no-nonsense manner, her stance becoming offensive as she made towards the bed. Seras bit her lip, wondering if it was out of place to say anything.

_Master…please?_ She finally asked mentally, her face pleading. Alucard rolled his eyes and vanished through the bed and the floor, murmuring something about "spoiling children never accounted for anything" as he left. Seras wasn't sure he'd left for good, but ultimately decided Sedna would hide her from any prying eyes. She took off the shirt, slightly embarrassed. Trying to become detached, she sat in the chair Sedna brought in her panties. She'd hated doctor's exams as a human-a trait that seemed to carry into her unlife.

Thankfully, Sedna was quick and thorough, and it was only a few minutes before she declared Seras to be in the clear. Seras sighed in relief, happy for her currently unfestering organs. She gave the shirt to Sedna and donned her now-dry uniform, checking herself in the mirror. She turned to watch the vampiress, who placed the shirt in a drawer and opened the door again, gesturing for Seras to follow.

They walked down the hall to where Alucard waited, tapping his foot on the ground. Seras smiled and approached, telling him the "good news". Alucard nodded unsurprised but let her wallow in her newfound healthy status. Sedna's stoic face broke into a slight grin at the Childe's happiness before she turned to address Alucard.

"I need to speak with you before you leave. The Council's in an uproar." Alucard heaved a sigh before staring pointedly at Seras, who had stopped to listen with interest. Sedna nodded and turned to face the opposite direction. "Svenn," she said quietly, and Seras wondered what it meant.

She was saved the trouble of asking when a blonde boy came around the corner. He appeared to be around her own age, with bright hair and a smattering of freckles across his pale cheeks. His outfit seemed to simply be the male version of Sedna's. He walked hurriedly down the hall before stopping at Sedna's feet.

"You called, Master?" he said in a lilting accent, staring at Seras from the corner of his eye. She flushed and moved closer to Alucard self-consciously, who smirked and let her grab onto the hem of his jacket.

"Svenn, this is Lady Seras. Please entertain her while the king and I talk. Your Highness, Lady Seras-this is my Childe, Svenn. May he be of use to you," she said formally. Seras smiled, waving slightly with her free hand and Svenn gave Alucard an anxious look before bowing low at the waist. Alucard untangled Seras' hand from his coat, following Sedna down the long hallway.

"Behave yourself, Seras. Remember my warnings," he called over his shoulder. Seras nodded after him, watching until they rounded the corner before turning back to Svenn. She grinned nervously at him. He scratched his neck, looking at a loss for words. They both stood awkwardly in the hallway for a long moment until Svenn cleared his throat.

"Ur-would you like something to drink?" he offered shyly. Seras smiled before shaking her head, her shoulders slumping.

"I'd love to, but I can't. Master said not to have anything that didn't come from him." Svenn nodded, hearing the implied undertone in her voice. He licked his lips and tried again.

"Want a tour of the castle?" he asked. Seras nodded.

"I'd love that."

* * *

Seras stared in amazement at the carvings lining the shelves. Svenn had taken her all over the castle, from the cellar to the attics. The only place Seras hadn't seen was Sedna's personal office and chambers, which was behind closed doors that they maneuvered by quickly. Now, Svenn had brought her to the last door, promising that he'd saved the best for last.

He didn't disappoint. He'd brought Seras to a room full of shelves and wooden carvings. There were tiny carvings of boats and ballerina, large hearts and wolves, an entire ocean of sea animals and fish: Seras was awestruck with the carvings. Picking up a tiny whale, she gazed at the tiny details of the pupil in its eye. It looked as if would swim right out of her hands. Placing it carefully back on the shelf, she turned and motioned to the shelves.

"Did you collect all this?" she asked. Svenn flushed deeply and shook his head.

"No, I make them. It is my favorite hobby. Even as a human, I loved carving little toys for my younger siblings." Seras glanced at the boy's large hands, surprised that they could craft some of the more delicate looking carvings.

"You had brothers and sisters?" she asked as they walked out of the room. Svenn nodded.

"I had four, ranging from sixteen to less than a year old. I was the eldest, at twenty-two." Seras looked up at him as they walked. He didn't look that old, but the freckles gave him a more boyish appearance so she could see it. "Did you?"

"What?" she asked, before getting his question. "Oh, no. I was an orphan for a long time. My parents were…murdered when I was younger." She still hated to say it, but she was desperately trying to accept the facts and move on. Svenn hesitantly patted her shoulder.

"I'm very sorry," he said, although it wasn't in a pitying way, more just a simple statement. "How did you get turned? Did you get lost from the orphanage or something?" he asked with a slight crease in his brow. Seras shook her head.

"No, I was out of the orphanage at 16. I went straight into the police academy. I was a police officer when I died- a rouge vampire attacked me and killed my comrades. I-I was afraid because he was going to rape me." Svenn clenched his jaw and Seras looked up at him in puzzlement.

"Master says that _those_ sorts of vampires give the rest of us bad names. I can't blame her for hating them," he explained. Seras returned his shoulder-pat and he almost choked when she touched him. She retracted her hand in alarm and he stared at her for a moment before asking her to continue.

"Er-well, Master Alucard came and saved me from the vampire, but he had to shoot me in the process. I was going to die, but he asked me if I wanted to live. And so…here I am." She bit her lip, lost in the memories. She shivered unconsciously, suddenly able to feel her cold, unmoving heart. She shook her head, trying to take her mind off her confusing choices. "What about you?"

"I was the son of a _kutoja_, a weaver. My father worked in the fields in the summer, but my mother's beautiful loom was what sustained us. I helped her card wool and watch after my siblings. Then, one day-this was far before weathermen-I left to find my father and bid him to come home. The skies showed that a storm was approaching. I was caught in the snowstorm almost instantly. It was wild and I could see a light far away. Thinking it was my home, I walked toward it but it must have been a lantern on a dogsled because it vanished soon after. Master found me in the snow, almost frozen to death. She offered to save my life and I took it, not knowing for sure what I was getting into." He chuckled, looking down at his hands.

"Did you ever see your family again?" Seras asked softly. Svenn looked at her for a long moment before motioning for her to come closer.

"I wasn't supposed to, but I did. My favorite sister was seven when I died. I saw her on her deathbed. She thought I was an angel. I was with her when she died." Seras looked at him sadly, but he waved her sympathy away and held a finger to his lips. "Don't tell anyone, though. We aren't supposed to have connections to our past life once we're reborn." Seras nodded and playfully mimicked his motion.

"Your secret's safe with me, "she mock-whispered and they both grinned.

"What secret?" Alucard's voice boomed from down the hall, making them jump. Sedna peered around him at the hunkered pair.

"Ah, puppy love at its best," she offered. Alucard gave her a strange look before glaring at Seras, who was baffled at his sudden annoyance. She shrugged at him, giving Svenn a sly glance.

"He's a boy who knows how to weave, Master," she said simply, knowing he couldn't call her out for lying when she told the truth. Svenn gave her a pretend growl of annoyance as he stalked over to stand next to his master. Seras did the same, flouncing over to stand by Alucard. He put his arm around her, effectively draping her in his coat and she moved closer to him, knowing that the visit was over. Svenn offered her a small wave and she returned it as Alucard pulled her backwards into the wall.

"Carve me something for when we meet again!" she called out. She saw his mouth move, but the blackness swallowed his answer and she was lost in the void, her only tie being the hand clutching her shoulder.

* * *

Cedar-wood smoke and humid air enveloped her and for a moment she flailed, thinking she was being attacked. After a moment, she realized that it was only Renfield trying his hardest to squeeze the life out of her. Giggling, she patted his back as he lifted her off the ground in his bear-hug.

"_Seras!_ I swear, I thought we'd lost you! They said you were poisoned and I just-I thought that you'd end up like Erikia and we'd have to-oh thank goodness you're alright!" he jabbered in her ear, rocking her from side to side like she was a puppy that he'd managed to get his hands on.

"I'm okay. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," she said sadly, feeling guilty for having someone worry about her, even for one night. Renfield paused in his little reunion, plopping her down on her feet.

"_Yes!_ What a bad girl you are! My magic is _not _your little playtoy: it's there for a reason," he said with a vexed air. "Make no mistake that it won't happen again. What if you ended up at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, with no way of moving around for the water? What if we couldn't get to you? I was _worried_. You-oh, I oughta," he suddenly grabbed one of her hands and turned it over, giving her palm three sharp smacks. "Bad young lady! Don't do that again!" Seras shook her hand reflexively, amused at the fact that he didn't even hit hard enough to sting.

"I _am_ sorry," she said honestly. "If I promise not to do it anymore, can I still stay here?" she pleaded playfully. Renfield pretended to think before slapping her shoulder.

"I just can't stay mad at you, love. You're like a cute baby animal; all innocence and energy," he said with a wink. Seras winked back.

"You know, my old team used to call me "Kitten". You can call me that too, if you'd like." Renfield beamed, saying the name a few times and laughing.

"Kitten: It fits you." He tilted his head and stared down at her over his glasses. "My little blonde Kitten." Seras blushed at the endearment, shuffling in place.

"She's not yours, I'll have you know." Alucard spoke up from the shadows. Renfield scoffed, snaking an arm around Seras and leaning on her like an end table.

"Well, someone's got to call her that and I don't see_ you_ doing it," he replied. "I don't see you doing much but send the poor thing into an anxiety attack every few hours. No wonder she's so pale," he added. Alucard snarled quietly, and Seras saw the possessive anger in his eyes and barely kept from groaning in exasperation. _What's __**with**__ these two? They're always at each other's throats, it seems! How can they even be considered allies at all? _She pulled away, backing into her own corner.

"You know, Master does call me pet names sometimes," she said spontaneously, making both men look over at her in disbelief. Alucard arched his brow.

"Police Girl is _not_ a pet name, idiot. It's a job description," he growled. Seras shook her head, waving his defense away.

"No, I wasn't talking about that. You've called me dear before, just like Renfield." Alucard looked blankly at her and Seras sighed before raising to her full height.

"_Are you a virgin, my dear?_" she quoted, trying to mimic his rumbling speech. Renfield grinned widely and waggled his brows at Alucard, mouthing something that Seras didn't quite catch. Alucard shook his head.

"That means nothing. You were just a simple human then; I said it to get your attention," he said.

"You liked her," Renfield chuckled.

"I _pitied _her," he hissed back, but it had no weight. Seras looked at the two men, shaking her head slightly. Men always acted like little schoolboys fighting on the playground.

"Calm down, both of you. The main problem we have is this- I'm hungry." The pair looked at her and she sighed, slipping around the magic to reassure her master mentally. _It's okay. I get any chance to tease you and I go for it. Sorry._ He huffed and summoned a portal.

_I'll be back later with food, _he informed her. She nodded and waved goodbye as he vanished, leaving her with Renfield.

"It's amazing. You're the only one I've seen so far that can stop him from getting mad and causing property damage. You have a gift, little kitten." Seras blushed and waved away the praise. "Never mind that though. I've got something I'm sure you'll be interested in," he said giddily. "Follow me."

* * *

**Afterword**- _Boop-boop-de-doop!_


	17. of Magic Brooms and Buttons

**Author's Note**: Sorry for any bad editing on this. I've been really busy with work (tax-free weekend- it's next week! UGH!) and so I've had minimal time to work on my larger calibur fics like this. Sorry!

* * *

Seras followed Renfield down the winding halls, trying to ignore the rumbling of her stomach.

"I've taken the liberty," Renfield said over his shoulder, "of peeking inside your room. I'm happy to say that it's sorted itself out rather nicely." Seras frowned as she followed, trying to keep track of the many turns and staircases in her mind. She _wasn't _going to get lost in this house and make a fool of herself! She was surprised when it took less than 3 minutes to end up at the door to her room. _Poisoned or not, I __**know **__that it took much longer to get here the first time. _She was about to ask if he'd moved her room before Renfield opened the door and the sight within took her breath away.

It was much more luxurious than her chambers at Hellsing manor. In fact, it looked more suited for a princess or a baroness than a lowly Senior Agent vampire like herself. The white carpet looked plush and inviting. The wallpaper was a soft blue color, adorned with alternating stripes of pink and white flowers. Her coffin lay in the far corner, its dark wood hidden behind a beautiful muslin canopy. A white desk sat in the opposite corner, fully outfitted with pens and a stationary box. Beside the door, a large bureau stood open, her clothes already hung neatly inside and the suitcase on the tiny shelf above the clothing-rack. The accessories that Abby had forced on her lay in the open drawer of a matching gilded vanity that was as large as the bureau itself.

Seras gaped at the beautiful room, taking a cautious step inside the door before her girlish tendencies took over. Squealing happily she investigated a door beside the desk, which turned out to be a fully equipped bathroom complete with both a claw-foot tub and hidden shower stall. She gazed in awe at the first private bathroom she had seen in 40 years before turning and tackling her bemused host.

"Thank you, thank you! I love it!" she shouted joyfully in his ear, forgetting all about her hunger for the moment. Gazing back at her new "home" for the foreseeable future, she beamed in contentment. "It's more like what I wished I had at Hellsing," she admitted. Renfield nodded, looking unsurprised.

"Of course it is," he replied inexplicably. "The house wouldn't give you something you didn't want." Seras pulled back, staring up into his eyes with a baffled expression.

"What does that mean?" she asked, looking behind him warily. The house wasn't a living thing; it didn't know what she did or didn't want… or _did_ it? Renfield untangled her hands from around his shoulders, giving her a comforting smile and a pat on the shoulder.

"It's my magic, love. Anything your heart desires-you need just _wish_ it, and it's yours." Seras felt her jaw drop as the thought sunk in. Narrowing her eyes, she bit her lip and felt an increasingly-familiar pull behind her. Looking around, she gasped softly as she saw a tiny picture sitting on the vanity. It was of her and her old squad, the one in her apartment that she'd had to leave behind that fateful night she joined Hellsing. She walked over and touched the frame briefly; making sure that it was indeed a tangible thing and not her overactive imagination. Renfield followed silently, peering over her shoulder at the picture. Looking at him, she pointed to the men, frozen in their laughter.

"Jack, Eddie, Simon," she whispered, pointing to each head. "All of them died at Cheddar; only I survived that day." Renfield looked at her melancholic face quickly before rubbing the small of her back soothingly as they left the room together.

"Nonsense. You didn't survive that night, either."

* * *

Renfield showed her the rest of the house, explaining how the layout worked. All Seras needed to do was envision where it was she wanted to go and she'd be there. If a room didn't exist, one would be made immediately by the magic. The man himself reddened abashedly and scratched the slight stubble on his chin at the notion.

"I kept needing more and more rooms, so I had to keep enlarging the mansion with magic. If it wasn't for the house realigning itself, we'd _all_ get lost in this place." And realign it did- the house constantly updated the similar hallways and arches and staircases, not only to keep track of the millions of rooms but also to confuse anyone and everyone that may wander it's halls, owner included.

"Have you ever been lost in here before?" Seras asked incredulously as she followed him down a spiral staircase that somehow had ten landings built into the circular framework. He'd told her that since she was here to help him, they would be weeding the garden while waiting for Alucard's return. As such, Seras carried a bag of knives and Renfield had his sliver broom. The man paused mid-slide at the question and wrinkled his nose, making what Seras was rapidly dubbing his "thinking-face". Finally he shook his head and continued his way down the banister, using the broom as a gondola pole of sorts.

"No, but once Alyssa did and it took me a full two days to find her. The magic had mistakenly thought that she wanted to be_ back_ in Belgium and had flung her off there. It was remarkably similar to the way it flung you to Finland." Seras gave up on the steps, jumping over the rail to land beside Renfield at the bottom.

"Who's Alyssa?" she asked as she adjusted her boots. When no answer came, she looked up to see her host looking at her rather mournfully; it made him seem like a _very_ old man.

"Alyssa was my wife," he said softly. Seras looked at him in astonishment; she hadn't thought Renfield the type to be married. _Was, _she thought sadly. Perhaps the marriage didn't work out. Maybe his kind only stayed married for a certain time?

"Where is she now? Did you have a falling-out?" Seras asked cautiously, not really knowing _why _she felt entitled to know the answer. Renfield blanked for a moment, blinking at her before understanding crossed his face and he chuckled softly.

"No my dear girl; Alyssa was a _human_. She passed over a century ago. We were married in 1709, you see." His gaze grew tender as he leaned on the stair banister. "She was something else. With my magic, she lived to be exactly 107." Seras colored slightly, feeling stupid. She'd never even thought about Renfield having a human wife.

"I'm sorry. It's clear you loved her dearly," she offered. "I hope that I might find someone to love _me_ like that one day." Renfield smiled at her, offering a sly wink as if he knew something she didn't. But then again, it _was _Renfield.

"I'm sure that someone's waiting to just sweep you off your feet," he said kindly, literally taking the broom and knocking her into the air. He caught her bridal style as she tripped and slung the broom over her lap. Suddenly, the floor beneath them opened and they fell through the gap with a shriek from Seras, landing safely in the foyer. Renfield laughed at the frightened Draculina, who was currently clutching his lapels for dear life. He gently placed her back on her feet and marched out the front door with a jaunty whistle.

"Never do that again with me, okay?" Seras said, feeling nauseous as her stomach hurried to catch up with her. She heard Renfield's laughter from around the side of the house and quickly followed him into the moonlight. The grounds were peaceful, the soft breeze making the forest sway and seem to glitter in the pale light. She admired the view for a moment before turning to Renfield, who'd rested the broom against the side of the house and was currently digging through the knives, coming back up with a large curved blade. At closer glance Seras realized that it was not a knife at all, but a small sword. Looking in the bag, she saw more swords at the bottom, with the knives clustered on top. "Uh, not to be sounding rude, but isn't using a sword on some weeds a bit of an overkill?"

"Not when they're magic weeds, Kitten," he said as he stretched. "I'm afraid I've let them get out of control and now I'm facing a vicious, bloodthirsty army of crabgrass." He seemed to steel himself before tightening his hold on the blade's handle and running around the side of the house with a war cry.

"Bloodthirsty?" Seras asked, confusion lacing her tone. She frowned at the assortment of weapons before growing out her claws, deeming them to be good enough for fighting plants. She casually walked around the side of the house, following the tiny trail of power that enveloped Renfield wherever he went. She found herself in a clearing, tripping over what appeared to be stepping stones. She felt the ground shake and looked up in surprise only to curse as she saw what they were up against.

* * *

It was a freak of nature-the only way to describe it. 8-feet-tall, with razor sharp edges and spines that were as long as her forearm _at least_. And there were about twenty of them. She shivered and stared up at the grass, which was currently shooting spines at Renfield as he cut off tendrils around the base. Seeing her, Renfield winced at her lack of weapon and motioned to the grass creatures with a shout.

"Make sure you cut the roots! It's the only way to kill them!" he said, ducking backwards and flipping on the ground before making a clean, magic-laden slice right through the roots of the grass, which were as thick and coiled together like steel cables. The creature let out a screeching howl and disintegrated as Renfield moved on to the next one.

"Magic weeds my arse!" Seras grumbled as she stalked to the nearest grass-creature. "Well, I won't be missing my training, I suppose." She felt her pupils narrow as the adrenaline rushed through her veins, making her hunger all the worse. She licked her lips and lunged at the root of the creature, allowing her left hand to dissolve into protective shadows as she pulled up the roots, slicing through them as easily she could flesh.

It took them all of twenty minutes to destroy the weeds. From the way it looked, the greenhouse seemed to be the heart of the infestation. Taking one look at the dreary hut, Renfield declared it a lost cause and waved his hand, sealing the greenhouse up tight so no more weeds could escape their new home. The two trudged back to the house, stopping at the door. Renfield popped her lightly with the scraggly broom bristles, taking care to not touch the blessed silver to her skin. The chlorophyll and dirt instantly vanished, and he nodded in satisfaction before doing himself as well.

"Can't have any of that residue following us inside, you know. I don't feel like losing my house to a plant." Seras giggled, than grimaced when her stomach let out an embarrassing rumble. She clutched her sides, realizing that fighting the crabgrass had taken what was left of her energy stores. Renfield tcched sympathetically, taking her hand and walking along the corridor. "Let's go the library to await your unpunctual sire. I need to see about something anyway."

* * *

Now that Seras wasn't in any mortal harm, she was able to truly appreciate the beauty of Renfield's library. It was enormous, reaching floor to ceiling with books. The ceiling itself was painted much more beautifully than any chapel Seras had ever been in, with its vaulted ceilings covered in paintings of stories that she'd never heard of. A black grand piano sat in the corner out of the way, its polished surface reflecting the glow of the fire in the giant grate. A beautiful table was pushed against half of the wall, its narrow girth spread out invitingly. Curious, Seras went over to investigate.

The white tabletop was covered in buttons, but in the most mysterious way. The buttons were of all shapes and sizes, each one unique. They were spread along the table in various groupings; some were alone, while others sat in groups of two or three with _one _exception. At the bottom, an entire row of black buttons sat neatly side by side, each one the exact same as the rest with the exception of the far-left button, which was bright crimson with two silver dots. Seras surveyed the arrangement with interest, her eyes falling on a gorgeous button in the corner, sitting next to a plain tan one. The button was midnight blue and covered in silver floral patterns. She reached to pick the button up when a hand clamped firmly on her wrist, and she was spun to meet Renfield.

"No-no-no! We don't touch my buttons. We _don't _touch my buttons," he said sharply. Seras looked into his eyes, seeing something dark swirling in them and she instantly shook with dread. She nodded quickly, moving away from the table and Renfield released her with a smile, everything seeming back to normal. Seras rubbed her wrist, realizing absently that there'd be a bruise, but she didn't care. She was more worried about the sickening feeling that still stayed with her as she looked at the table. _No way am I touching those things! _

She carefully inched behind the man, peering over his shoulder at the buttons. Renfield bent over the table, his hands on the sides of the table as he stared. He regarded the table for a long moment before taking a dark red cloth button from its spot near a handful of other ones and carefully dropping it next to the blue and tan ones that Seras had admired. She frowned, about to ask what he was doing when Alucard's head poked out of the wall above them, grinning wickedly.

"Buttons! _Buttons!" _Renfield screeched warningly, pushing the vampire's head back up through the wall. Seras winced as she heard her master's neck crack and pop with the sudden force. It hung loosely for a moment before Alucard popped it back into place, scowling and moving down the wall to emerge fully. Seras followed him down the wall and he handed her a thermos and a letter.

"The Missus Hellsing," he answered her unasked question, striding over to sit near the fireplace. "Hm. It's been a long time since I've felt the warmth of a hearth," he said to himself. Seras tucked the letter into her uniform and opened the thermos to reveal warm blood inside. Smiling, she chugged the contents eagerly in twenty seconds flat before handing the empty case back to him, taking a seat at his feet. Renfield joined them, looking over at the buttons in concern.

"Something's not right," he told Alucard anxiously. Seras watched as Alucard twisted around to look at the table. "I'm not quite sure _what,_ but something's not right." He chewed on his thumbnail, picking at the cuticles. Alucard gave a half-shrug, leaning back in the chair.

"It's probably nothing, although you may just be picking up the general unease of my nation at the moment. We can't afford another 1819." Renfield nodded absently, staring at the flames in the grate. The trio sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

_Master, what's 1819?_ Seras asked inquisitively. Alucard didn't answer straightaway, but Seras knew that he wasn't ignoring her question, either. She leaned back against his leg, letting him support her weight as she waited for an answer. He placed a hand on her head, rubbing slightly.

_It was the last documented case of poisoning among Midians. Many lost their lives that year, until we put a stop to it._ Seras wanted to ask more, but something in her Master's mental touch told her that to prod him on the matter was unwise. She'd just have to be content with his simple explanation. She sighed but let her questions rest until another time. She closed her eyes and rested, not quite asleep but not awake either, lulled by Alucard's rhythmic petting.

* * *

A slight pop pulled her out of her doze and she sat up, turning around to look at the source of sound, as did Alucard and Renfield. The three looked at the table, then at the black button spinning on the floor before flopping over on the ground. The entire room exploded at once; Alucard vanished from the chair and Renfield threw himself toward the table, muttering to himself. Seras fell on the ground, forgetting that her weight had been on her now-absent sire's leg. Picking herself up, she took a spot beside Renfield and watched the flurry his hands made over the table as the buttons moved almost of their own accord at the slightest touch.

The red button joined the crimson and blacks at the bottom before they all scattered to every corner of the table. The red then joined a turquoise and yellow one at the top before both the buttons joined a indigo button over in a corner by themselves. Whole groups of buttons unformed and made new groups immediately. It took about ten minutes before Renfield finally stopped, resting his hands on the table and breathing harshly. Seras took one look at his pale face and led him to a chair.

"What can I do? Can I get some water for you?" she asked concernedly. Renfield shook his head, leaning back in the chair with a huff. He looked to be about seventy, fine lines forming on his face. Seras moaned, worried.

"I just-need-to eat," he wheezed. Opening one eye, he looked at her and offered his hand. "Help me." Seras frowned, unsure of what he wanted from her. Taking his hand, she looked at him and remembered the quip he'd made when she'd been on his lap. _It's the life I take…._

"I can't give you life. I have no life to give," Seras said in obvious confusion, chafing his hand with her thumb. He shook his head weakly.

"I know. I can feed off- your emotion. Something happy will do, I- think." Seras blinked for a moment and decided to go with it. _He knows what he's talking about, I guess._ She frowned, trying to think of happy things. She screwed her eyes shut in concentration. _My life hasn't been the best one…what makes me happy? _Seeing her new room, Renfield sliding down staircases, her master being by her side, Abby spinning a long-winded history tale…these made her happy. She continued to think; _getting a new gun, blasting a FREAKS head off, watching Master fight and seeing their faces once they realize that it's futile to resist_.

She felt herself being drained of happiness as fast as she could think of it but she let it go, watching instead with more joy as Renfield slowly regained his usual color and finally let go of her hand, sighing and opening his eyes.

"Thanks; I needed that. That's what I get for working with buttons on an empty stomach." Seras said nothing, leaving him in the chair as he summoned his bag of spiders and began to eat them- _their life essence. He wasn't joking when he said he ate lives. Huh. _She looked at the buttons, studying their new layouts.

She realized that the buttons now followed a strange pattern. Many of the buttons were grouped together in separate groups, but with similar markings on each group. The smallest group was still two buttons close to the top-both turquoises with yellow markings. The silver marking buttons were next, each one a varying shade of either red or dark blue with sliver embellishments. The largest by far were the gold groups, all varying shades of purple. The three buttons in the corner stayed together, as did the silver and tan in the center.

Looking at the three corner buttons, she realized that each fit in with a group; purple, red, or turquoise. She also gazed at the midnight blue button-it'd easily fit in with the silver-marking group, but it was much more elegant than any of the buttons on the table, save the cloth red one. Biting her lip, she thought for a long moment before turning to Renfield, who was slowly making his way towards her.

"Are the buttons people?" she asked him as he came to stand beside her. He laughed, giving her a "you're crazy" look.

"Of course not, silly girl." He surveyed the table. "They're buttons." Seras groaned, rolling her eyes.

"I mean do they _stand_ for people? I mean, is that-Master and…" she pointed to the trio. Renfield picked them all up, placing the red one next to the blue and tan again, the turquoise with the other turquoises, and the purple with the crimson one at the bottom of the table. He then placed all the black ones back in a line next to the crimson before nodding in satisfaction.

"It's a map of sorts, yes." Seras frowned; it didn't answer her question but she knew that's the best she could hope for from the man. Alucard came back through the wall again, his eyebrows knitted tightly as he crushed his glasses in one hand. Seras shivered slightly; if she didn't know better, she'd of said he looked worried.

"Carmine is dead." Renfield grunted and flopped back in his chair, nodding.

"I was worried about that. I suppose that the world has lost a powerful Midian, although not one of the most caring of individuals. How'd he go-stake in the heart?" Renfield asked, sounding rather sympathetic despite his unkind air. Alucard shook his head, his eyes grim.

"No. Poisoned."

* * *

**Afterword:** _B-b-but- true Midians can't be poisoned…can they?_

Onanother note, thanks to AvengingNeko for the button idea. I was originally going to have it just where Renfield was antsy about people touching his button collection, but then I remembered being a kid and looking at my Nanny's sewing buttons, imagining the kind of person that would wear the old antique brass button, or the cloth covered gold button...and it turned into this.


	18. A Call to Court

**Pronunciations (aka Why can't you come up with normal names, Juju?!)  
**Isak- Eye-sack (lie Isaac with an extra strain on the "aa")  
Katya- Cat-cha  
Adelita- Adel-leeta

* * *

"Wha-?" Seras gasped. "You-I-I thought you said that full-fledged vampires couldn't be hurt by poison!" Alucard gave her a long look, looking wearier than she'd ever seen him before.

"When I told you that, it was the truth. This is the first time a full-fledged nightwalker has ever been crippled by any sort of toxin. I've never seen it before tonight." Seras nodded and shivered, feeling slightly trapped. Someone was really out to kill the vampires. Who would do such a terrible thing?

"Master, do you think-" she began, but faltered as he gave her a tiresome look. "Um, never mind. It can wait until tomorrow." She turned halfway to Renfield, who was standing with his back to her, silhouetted against the crackling fire. "Um…" Her body gave a familiar pull, letting her know that sunrise wasn't far off. "I think I'll go to bed. Good day, Master. Mr. Renfield." The man turned from the fireplace to give her a smile, but it didn't meet his eyes and it came off as more sinister than friendly. She gulped and waved to Alucard, who nodded and moved to join Renfield by the fire. Turning, she left and went towards her room.

* * *

Seras gazed at herself in the mirror, fingering her new sleepwear slightly in awe. She'd gone for her regular blue pajamas after taking a long soak in the tub, but the beautiful white nightgown had been draped over the back of the writing desk's chair and she just couldn't stop looking at it. Seras had felt strange about putting on the gown, but the house had given it to her for some reason. Touching the fabric, she'd felt a soft, satiny fabric that she'd never encountered before. All inhibitions aside, she placed her pajamas back into the bureau. When she finished slipping it over her head, she turned and surveyed herself in the mirror.

The gown was cut in a square-shaped collar, showing off her collarbone and pale neck but modestly resting just below the clavicle. It flowed smoothly across her waist, resting at her ankles. The sleeves were three-quarters length and cinched around her elbows. Looking in the mirror, Seras wondered just how old a style it was. It was beautiful in its own way, but it honestly looked like something that her grandmother would have worn to bed as a young woman. But then again, the off-white color did make her skin seem a bit darker, and the feel of the fabric against her skin was _divine_. And it was a gift after all, and it somehow came to be because she wanted it, although she never really felt a need for an old-fashioned nightgown.

She gave a silent nod to her reflection before going and lying inside her coffin, keeping the lid up as she gazed at the muslin above her. The sun hadn't quite risen yet, and although she felt drowsy she knew it'd be at least an hour before the hypnotic sleep washed over her mind. She'd always loved the fact that vampires simply couldn't have insomnia anymore, something that had often plagued her as a human. The heat from the sun-warmed air sent all nightwalkers into a deep trance, which was akin to human sleep. They dreamed just like any other creature, but hardly woke until nightfall unless something drastic pulled on their minds, like a nightmare or an outside disturbance.

She relaxed her muscles, letting her powers flow around her naturally like Alucard had taught her. This served two purposes; to use up any excess energy, and to check her surroundings. _You can't be lax with your guard out in the combat zone, Police Girl. Practice your powers in times of peace and you'll live longer, _her master had advised and Seras strove to meet his expectations. Every night at Hellsing, she'd carefully taken note of every human in the manor. Now, she did the same. She practically swam in the house's magic, letting it mingle with her own as she rode the waves through the hallways. She heard the slight muttering of her master and Renfield's conversation, touching their minds lightly in passing. Alucard caught her mind, diving into it briefly to perceive her intentions. When he saw she was merely checking her surroundings he released her, his mind caressing hers almost gently. Renfield's mind jerked in surprise before giving Seras' what could only be described as a mental eye-roll as it turned back to the conversation at hand. Smiling, Seras came back to herself and closed the coffin lid. The sun was rising now, and it was time for all good Draculinas to be in bed.

* * *

Seras opened her eyes and looked around the dingy room. She knew that she was asleep in her coffin, but at the same time she understood that she was seeing through someone else's eyes. "Dream-person" was the closest she could think to describe the figure she now inhabited, although she knew it-_he_-was a real being and not a figment of her imagination. The dream-person didn't seem to know that she was sharing the same mind, although it was feeding her information as fast as she could take it in. She backed away and checked herself, deciding that she wasn't in any danger and could escape at any time without fear. Steeling herself, she let her reserve disappear and focused on the scene playing out before her eyes.

_The woman lay motionless on the bed, her long ebony locks flowing about the mattress and sticking to her sweaty face. Seras was sitting across the room at a table, watching her as she remained comatose. She then turned and stole a glance at a burly man with a short ponytail- Antonio was his name- who was pacing up and down the length of the far wall. He ran a hand through his already-mussed hair and mumbled under his breath, looking at the figure on the bed. _

_Seras looked at the closed door that led to the main room of the house, something inside telling her that the people behind the door were bad; not __**evil**__, but bad for the woman- and so in turn bad for her. At the same time, she understood that they were only looking at the greater good, but it was so hard not to be selfish when her creator lay unconscious on a bed and her creator's Companion wouldn't __**be still**__, making Seras more and more edgy with each tap his shoes made on the floor. _

_The motionless woman suddenly let out a low moan and began shivering, her small frame making the entire bed shake with her convulsions. Antonio stopped mid-pace, looking at the bed with his chest heaving before echoing her moan. He collapsed on the bed, pulling the trembling woman's frame into his arms and rocking her, whispering in her ear. Seras felt a pull of sadness as she felt the wavering mind through their bond. __**Oh, Jefe. What will become of us all? **__She thought sadly. _

_ Without warning the door burst open with a slam, three figures silhouetted against the flickering fire in the main room. Seras felt a twinge of fear. She couldn't fight the Councilmen, but…what were they going to do? Detain her master until a cure could be found, perhaps? She gazed in alarm as the Head Female walked into the room. She'd never liked the Head Female-there was something sadistic in her gaze, and her erratic mood-swings didn't help her popularity. She noticed with a shock that the Head Female's eyes __**both**__ burned crimson. She crouched against the table in reverence as the Head Female crossed the room to stare down at Antonio and the sick woman, the former growling low in his throat and pulling the unresponsive body to his chest protectively. Her face pulled into a grim line and she motioned to the Councilmen, who grabbed Antonio and gently pried him off of the woman. Seras watched in distress as the normally-gentle man went ballistic, trying to claw the men off of his arms and get back to his Companion. The two men picked him up, pity written across their features as they dragged him from the room. Seras moaned softly as the door shut, but she could still hear Antonio screaming through the walls. "Quiero morir tambein! Muera yo!" She covered her ears, trying to block out the ghastly howls. _

_She watched as the Head Female straightened the woman out on the bed, her face full of pity and sadness instead of the usual insanity and mocking cheer. She paused with her hand held over the quivering chest, her head turning reflectively to look at Seras, as if she'd just noticed the other person in the room. Her mouth moved, but before Seras could hear the words her hand blurred and the world went black, collapsing into utter agony as the bond between Master and Childe was severed. _

* * *

Seras awoke from the trance to hear someone screaming. A tiny part of her recognized it was her own voice shrieking in terror as the tears rolled down her cheeks. The echo of what she'd felt during those last moments of her dream had stayed with her, and that miniscule amount of pain was enough to make her go insane with trepidation and horror. It was worse than any physical pain she'd ever had inflicted on her; it was as if someone had taken her very soul and rendered it in two. She clawed at the coffin, unable to get it open in her fright. She had to feel her master's touch, to make sure that he wasn't really gone and this aching, _unbearable_ loneliness wasn't hers after all. Her screams began to hurt her ears as they reverberated in the closed space, and she felt the nagging claustrophobia setting in as she tore her claws apart trying to escape her new prison.

The lid to her casket was thrown open and Seras felt herself pulled against something hard against her will. She didn't understand immediately in her blind panic, railing against whoever was clutching her until she caught the earthy scent of her master. Immediately she calmed, pushing herself against his solid form and her screams turned to sobs that shook her body. She began to shiver uncontrollably as she clutched his vest, feeling his hands like iron bands around her arms.

_Seras! Seras, what's wrong?_ he shouted into her mind, shaking her slightly as she broke down. She shook her head, wrapping her arms around his waist to be closer to him. She'd never considered what would have happened if their bond was broken prematurely, without either of their consent. It was something she never wanted to experience again.

_Master, it hurt so badly! Please, don't let that happen to us; I couldn't bear it, _she moaned in his mind fearfully. She felt his confusion and knew that she wasn't in any state to explain in words what she had seen and felt. _Read my mind-it was some sort of memory that just came to me. I know that it was real. _She kept her eyes screwed shut as Alucard immediately dived into her thoughts, sorting through her emotions at breath-taking speed. He was silent throughout the whole scene, which Seras didn't want to live again but was slightly relieved to find that she could watch without feeling the emotions and pain-most likely because Alucard blocked her weakened mind from them. At the end, she felt his mind recoil in disgust and he pulled her close in an embrace that rivaled the first time they'd met, when he'd caressed her and made her into the undead.

_**Never**_, he firmly declared and Seras melted against him in relief. _Never. Such a circumstance is highly brutal to both parties, although now only one will feel the effects. _Seras opened her eyes and felt his harsh breathing and anger growing steadily with the pressure in the room.

_They can't get away with this,_ she spoke his emotions aloud, and he nodded. _We won't let them, will we Master? _

"They will pay," he declared aloud, his hatred and abhorrence lacing every word. Seras assented, sniffing loudly as she broke the security-hug that she'd so desperately needed. Alucard met her eyes and they stared for a moment before he motioned with his head towards the door. "Come with me, Seras. I want your opinion on something." He stood and she tumbled back into the coffin awkwardly.

"Yes, my Master." She stood and made a move to the bureau, but Alucard caught her arm and looked her over appraisingly.

"Don't bother getting dressed. You're my Childe-learn to make a statement every once in a while." Seras made a face but allowed him to steer her out the door.

"Master, you're bewildering."

* * *

Seras peeked over Alucard's shoulder at the new room. It was similar to the war-room that Round Table Conference met in from time to time; a long table stretched its length, and the walls were plastered with papers and-surprisingly-older posters from both World Wars that ranged from German propaganda to American war-bond signs.

Renfield stood bowed over the table, pointing at something on the table. Beside him stood an officer-well, he was dressed in regimentals but they were foreign and looked like something out of a black-and-white lithograph. The stranger glanced up as Alucard walked in the door, and Seras saw crimson orbs hidden behind his curly brown hair. She felt a strange pull of kinship to the officer and smiled, waving shyly.

The officer stared at her-in all honesty, he was staring at her neck. She turned slightly to see Renfield was also eyeing her neck, although in a more subtle way than the stranger. She placed a hand to her neck, only to remember that her gown left her neck-and therefore her bite marks-out in the open. She usually wasn't keen on showing the world her raised scars. When you lived with hundreds of humans, you learned that while many could look past strangely-colored eyes, they always would stare at the twin puncture wounds and even want to touch them. _That _was the problem; anyone touching her neck made her nervous, like an unspoken taboo. She'd let Abby touch them briefly, but after that her skin had crawled for hours as she stood in the shower, scrubbing at the marks as if to wash unseen hands away. No, it was better to keep them under her clothing; out of sight, and out of temptation.

She stared down the stranger, her gaze flitting to his bare neck to see that he _didn't_ have bite marks. _Strange,_ she thought absently, wondering if being a full-fledged Midian meant that your marks healed when you left you r Master. _No, that can't be right._ She bit her lip, thinking back to Finland. She'd seen Svenn's neck through his parka at more than one moment and his skin was also bare, although he was still a Childe like herself. Was she strange, having unhealed marks? Is that why everyone was staring at her like she'd just declared war on the Great Kitten Army? _Master, my bite marks_, _that man- _she began, but his mind cut her off.

_Later, Police Girl. That's a conversation for another time. _Alucard moved around to put an arm on her shoulder and half-dragged her to the stranger. He smirked when the stranger's eyes didn't move from his childe's neck. He snapped his fingers inches from the man's nose, his grin growing when the man jumped slightly and turned his eyes to the ancient vampire in confusion.

"Do you have something to say, Isak?" he asked lightly, an unspoken warning in his tone. The man shook his head before bowing quickly, turning his eyes away in compliance.

"Forgive me, my lord. I would not dare," he murmured, and Seras blinked in surprise at the thick Russian accent that didn't fit the man's appearance. The man turned back to her and bowed, offering her an apologetic smile as he bowed low, holding out a hand. "Forgive me sister. I am Isak; it's my pleasure to make your acquaintance." Seras gave him her hand hesitantly and he pressed it to his lips. He straightened up and his gaze roved over her. "Katya will be pleased, to have a blonde in the family again," he said to Alucard, who nodded with an amused expression. Seras was saved the trouble of asking as Alucard swept her past Isak and to the table, where a letter sat.

"Police Girl," he addressed her as she was handed the letter. "This was found by the empty bottle of wine in the poisoned Midian's bedroom. What do you think of it?" As Seras studied the letter, he turned to Isak. "Adelita is dead."

"What? My lord, how can it be so? I saw her only yesterday!" Isak said in shock. Alucard motioned to the blonde that was poring over the paper. "Seras has shown on more than one occasion her knack for retrocognition. For some reason, it only seems to come upon her in sleep." Renfield gave a nod, seemingly unsurprised. "She saw the Council destroy Adelita. It was clear that she was poisoned as well. They saved Antonio the burden of seeing her awake." Isak furrowed his brow.

"Kette, then? She is in charge of deciding their fate in Carmine's absence, correct?" he asked Alucard concernedly. At the replying nod, his face turned grim. "No disrespect, my lord- but are you sure that Nekette is…sound enough for such decisions?" Alucard arched one brow at the man who bowed and backed away, understanding the look all too well. Alucard gave Isak one last glare before turning back to Seras.

"So then, Police Girl?" Seras tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Any thoughts?" Seras knew that he was prepared to guide her if need be, but her police training had prepared her for these things.

"Well, Master-the handwriting is smudged and almost illegible in most of the letter, but the sentence at the bottom is clear, as if someone wanted to make sure that we got that part of the message. "Let them eat cake", "bourgeois", "bluebloods"; these are clear, although the handwriting around them isn't." She looked to Alucard, who mimicked her expression.

"And so?" Seras cleared her throat and sat the letter back on the table.

"And so, it's someone who thinks that pure-blood vampires are bourgeois. Someone who could easily fit in with real Midians long enough to poison their drinks. Someone who's been planning this for some time."

"But who? Midians know our own." Isak argued. Alucard gave the two of them a long look, crossing his arms. Renfield cleared his throat, stepping forward.

"You're right chap, but then again, how many years has it been since the Court has met? You didn't know that your master had another Childe. The factions are scattered at the moment. It's very possible that someone could sneak in, pretending to be an unregistered fledgling." He stole a glance at Alucard. "It is possible, isn't it?"

"Yes. The Council wouldn't turn away a supposed fledgling that had gotten lost from its master. Perhaps you could be right." Seras blinked, looking to the three men.

"So, what happens now? What are we going to do, Master?" she asked anxiously. Alucard was silent for a long moment.

"We meet in Court," he declared finally. "We have to swear in a new Councilmember. And it would be a good idea to register all the new Children and Companions while we're at it. And we'll discuss this threat in detail." Isak nodded, clearly excited by the idea.

"It'd certainly put everyone's mind at ease," he added helpfully. "If you wish, Katya and I can alert the others."

"That's fine. We meet on November 17th. Don't forget to schedule the trains and prepare the meals." Isak nodded and vanished in a swirl of blood-shadow with one last bow. Renfield clapped his hands once, startling Seras out of her introspection.

"Well, that's settled! I suppose you'll want our little kitten trained in the fine art of Courtesan ways?" he said with a sly wink. Alucard's lips twisted and he settled for a low growl.

"You may teach her dancing and that is _all. _I personally will send Katya to teach her in history and etiquette." Renfield winked at Seras behind Alucard's back he grabbed the man's suspenders, throwing him against the wall with one hand. "Need I remind you that I will personally bring her meals and check on her progress?" Renfield laughed, patting the hand that was pressed against his neck affectionately.

"_Down, boy_. I give you my word as a gentleman." Alucard hissed and pushed the man's head up further to the point that his neck would either break or bend in on itself. Renfield grinned viciously and his hand tightened around Alucard's wrist. "Are you really going to try that_, _or do I have to remind _you_ of some things?" he whispered with a slightly sadistic tone. "In front of the girl, no less?" he added quietly. Seras felt chills run up her spine at her host's words. Alucard snarled, but let go and Renfield slid easily to the ground, his cheerful smile back in place.

Seras suddenly felt disappointed, wanting to see the two men fight for once; her master was always so beautiful and graceful in battle, but something about Renfield seemed so…unholy_._ She could see how ancient humans considered his kind to be demonic-the look in his eyes when Alucard challenged him was gleeful and merciless, but he was tempting Alucard into making the first move. Perhaps that would give him the go-ahead to disable the vampire? _Could_ Renfield even hurt Alucard? Seras felt instinctively that he probably could-the magic he had was much more ancient than her master, and she could feel that he wasn't using but a fraction of it. The word "omnipotent" floated to the front of her mind before it could be squashed back.

_Truly so, Seras. Renfield knows how to disable me, but as long as I reign in my temper around him he wouldn't dare try anything. The succubae follow their own laws concerning the use of their powers. I've seen him fight only twice before. It's __**glorious**__, the amount of bloodshed he can inflict with one swipe of his fingers. _Alucard's mind went from slight respect to uncertainty. _You would like to see him kill me?_

_No. Just to watch you spar. I'd throw myself in front of you if he went too far in the battle. _She felt a powerful urge to slap sense into her sire. How dare he think such a silly thing! Didn't she not just say earlier that she didn't want to be parted from him? _I think I like you too much to let him kill you. Besides, _she added in a mocking tone, _Renfield __**loves **__me. If I said for him to stop hurting you, he'd do it in a heartbeat. _Seras nodded, completely sure of that fact. Renfield had vanished too, leaving the two of them to walk down the halls together. Seras wasn't sure where they were going, instead just leaving it up to Alucard as he seemed to have a path in mind.

_He does, and I'm not surprised by it. All of us creatures that live in darkness-kind or unkind, caring or unheeding-still crave the corruptible innocence that young little beings like you carry with them. It's only natural for us. One day, you too will grow to love some insignificant pup, full of life and purity. _

_Do you really think so? _She asked sarcastically as they went through a door and into the library. Renfield was looking at his buttons thoughtfully, having beaten them there. She went over to a cabinet, rustling through them for some paper. She still had a letter to read and reply to, and boy did she have some things to tell about!

* * *

**Afterword:** Ah, yes. Here we see the nightgown from Chapter 17 of _Caeli et Inferno_. I bet you didn't even pay attention, did you?  
Nekette is (coughcough) and OC of AvengingNeko's that she allowed me to borrow. We've had mile-long discussions about how to change her for my story and make her fit in. She's going to be different than her part in AN's stories, but all the same thanks to Ketti for allowing me to use her. I think she's going to end up well. _(She's actually head of the council now Ketti. She's broken the glass ceiling! HAAHAH!)_


	19. Changing Views

_ Two whole months,_ Seras thought miserably as she pressed her forehead to the window. It had been two whole months since she'd seen anyone other than Renfield. Sure, the eccentric man had his high points, but Seras longed for other company. Her master brought her fresh blood every week, but had managed to avoid any face-to-face confrontation. _He didn't leave a note or anything! _She frowned and hugged herself, leaning her weight against the glass. If it had just been the lack of physical contact, she would have been alright but he hardly spoke mentally to her either. It made her wrack her brain, trying to remember if she'd done anything wrong to make him angry. He usually paid more attention to her than this. It made her feel like a-like a-

"A neglected child, perhaps?" a voice purred in her ear and she jerked, turning to see her host sitting on the couch a room's length away. She scratched at the skin under her ear, mentally berating the man. It was downright _creepy_ when he did weird things like that. It was like he defied the laws of space-time. Seras shivered slightly, reminding herself that it was entirely possible he _didn't _follow the laws of space-time. He hardly followed any laws at all other than the ones of common decency which Seras was eternally grateful for; although she seriously doubted Alucard would have let her stay with a man who'd try to molest her at every opportunity. Renfield cocked his head like a curious puppy, staring at her musingly. "That sage-like expression; what are you thinking, Kitten?"

"About whether you follow the laws of physics," she blurted unthinkingly, immediately coloring when she realized what she said. Renfield laughed good-naturedly: his real laugh, not the weird breathy tittering he often gave. It was a rolling baritone, not unlike her master's "evil" laughter although Renfield somehow gave it a cheerful quality. She enjoyed his laugh and often wondered why he didn't use it more often.

"I do, when it fits my fancy," he jollily replied. Seras smiled as another wave of laughter rolled through the air before he settled and picked up a book, opening it to a marked page. Seras tilted her head to read the spine only to find that it seemed to be written in Hebrew. Shrugging, she crossed the room and sat next to him.

"Why don't you laugh like that more often?" she asked timidly. He looked from the book and turned to her, sighing softly.

"Why do you think I hang around vampires, Kitten? Surely there are other creatures of better company then nightwalkers." Seras was stunned by the question. Why did he ask her that? She wasn't sure if she ought to be insulted or perplexed. He closed the book again and set it aside before facing her fully and crossing his legs, waiting for her answer. Seras looked around the library, hoping the answer would pop from the bookshelves and knock her in the forehead. When no such miracle occurred, she shrugged and shook her head.

"I dunno; you like our charisma?" Renfield gave her a "be serious" glare and she winced.

"_Kitten._ You're on the right track, though. It's all about the charisma-or more specifically my overabundance of it." He sounded so smug that Seras almost snorted at his confession. He gave her another look and she placed her hands in her lap, feeling like a schoolchild again. "What, pray tell, is a succubus?" Seras frowned, unsure of his train of thought. They'd had this conversation before, right after Seras had to feed him her happiness. There had been a lot of questions answered that night, more than not running into the field of Too Much Information. She'd felt slightly disgusted at his diet, but after great thought she'd decided that her own wasn't much better. Still, she humored him and rattled off the definition that he'd given her.

"A succubus is a creature that can convert life energy and emotions into a tangible sustenance. These creatures must live off willingly given energy sources." Renfield nodded and laced his fingers together under his chin, staring out the window. Seras fidgeted slightly in her seat.

"That is my bane, Seras. I must have energy willingly handed to me, or else I can't eat. Do you know of any human in their right mind who would submit to such a thing?" he gave her a baleful look, but his eyes were distant. For the first time, Seras realized that he didn't like taking lives any more than she enjoyed drinking blood. She swallowed quietly, her heart reaching out to him. She never imagined that her lighthearted guardian would have such a burden on his shoulders. She searched for something to say.

"Willing-that seems to be a running gag with us inhuman creatures. Everything has to be free choice." Seras looked at her own pale hands, the slightly discolored veins a constant reminder that blood no longer flowed in them. "Even if you're not altogether certain what the right choice is," she added quietly, her voice catching. They both sat for a long moment, each lost in their own bitter minds until Renfield cleared his throat.

"Nevertheless, we succubae do have an ace up our sleeve. We're hopelessly charming in every sense of the word. That's why I have to ban myself from laughing too loudly, or walking too normally, or even simply talking in my normal voice. That's all it takes for humans-as well as many other creatures-to be putty in my hands. Our kind is _too_ good at what we do." He glanced at her. "It doesn't help that even with that, I'm unnaturally gorgeous," he boasted with a wink. Seras giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Is that why you wear those ugly glasses?" she asked. Renfield gave a dramatic gasp and fingered the thick rims.

"I beg your _pardon_, young lady! These were the height of fashion in their day!" he exclaimed. Seras scoffed.

"Yeah, maybe among the blind." She scrunched up her eyes. "Let me see what you look like without them on." Renfield diverted her hands from the frames, shaking his head.

"I'll show you on the day that you leave. It's a rather funny sight-you see, you vampires are hunters of the highest caliber."

"What?"

"One of the strangest things about a vampire is his immunity to most magic, save necromancy and we are _not _getting into that rubbish pile again." At Seras' questioning glance, he made a disgusted face. "Ask your Master about Chernobyl sometime. You thought Ghouls were bad; try fighting a skilled Necromancer."

"You mean the radioactive accident in the 1980s?" Seras tried to remember all the info they'd been taught on it at school. No one was allowed into the site-it was still too radioactive. She remembered that much.

"Any sorcerer worth his weight could spot those mutations as aftershocks of black magic. No radioactivity can cause those _creatures _to emerge." He shuddered. "Necromancy is the blackest of arts-the Devil himself wouldn't touch it." Seras shivered as well even though she really didn't have any idea what he meant by it. "Anyway, to an extent, vampires like yourself are able to resist my pull on your senses, which is good for me because you can have a pleasant conversation with someone without them begging to be thrown down you-never mind. However, you're not fully incapable of withstanding my natural talents. If I try hard enough, I probably could make your master my little minion, although he wouldn't be quite as fun to mock anymore."

"I doubt that. Not much can bring Master down. He's one of the most powerful people I know," Seras declared confidently. The clock struck 3:00 and she stood, the nightly ritual of sitting on the bell tower to moongaze calling her name. Renfield picked up his book, letting her be as she left for the tower. _Ah, let the girl dream a little. If Alucard's the strongest in her mind, who am I to tell her wrong?_

* * *

The moon was especially bright. It was the kind of night that made Seras almost happy to be a Midian. Humans, who were usually asleep at this hour, couldn't truly appreciate the bliss that came with sitting quietly and staring at the night sky. Their lives were just too fleeting; they didn't have time to stop and notice those sorts of things.

She looked out over the valley and allowed herself to relax. Her chat with Renfield made her think-maybe he was a bit lonelier than she was. She shouldn't feel bad about herself. One day, she'd go home to Hellsing and her master would be under her skin once more. However, Renfield would be alone again. Who was she to be so selfish? Still- wasn't that other vampire supposed to come and teach her? She frowned, wondering if the plans had changed. Renfield hadn't mentioned it; but-it gave her an excuse to talk to Alucard anyway. But how could she contact him when she had no idea where to send her mind to? Besides, he was ignoring her.

"I suppose it's as good a time as any to experiment, old girl," she muttered in an imitation of Renfield's voice, reclining against the bell-box. She tried to think back to when she first arrived. She'd been poisoned at the time, so the events were still fuzzy. She had to have called her master to her somehow, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered showing up in her room and she would have-she shook her head slightly, not wanting to dwell on how _close _she'd been to dying. The question was-how to call him? She relaxed, thinking about Alucard while she closed her eyes and concentrated. After a while, the word "Master" became a mantra in her head, which she imagined as becoming tangible and spreading out in the air, going all over England.

It seemed to take only a moment before Alucard prodded her mind and she snapped back to reality. _Did I doze off?_ She looked around, glad that the sun hadn't rose. She rubbed her eyes and stretched.

_No, Police Girl. But I'd rather you not be broadcasting your thoughts into every mind in the country. You really should learn to control your powers. _There was a slight popping noise in Seras' ears and she wondered where her sire could be.

_I'm sorry. I was only looking for you. Where are you?_ She felt his fleeting amusement coupled with impatience.

_I'm on a mission for my master, nosy thing. _Seras colored slightly in irritation at his scathing tone. _What's wrong? Is that no good Renfield becoming a bore? _

_No, Master. I'm just…lonely. Besides, weren't you supposed to send me a teacher?_ She felt wimpy, admitting her loneliness but it wasn't as if he couldn't see all of her emotions splayed out inside her mind. Most likely, he knew already. She heard a snap and the vision of a ghoul's head imploding flashed through her mind. _Don't send me that! _She whined. _I'd do anything to be out on a mission right now. _

_My bloodthirsty little Seras, _he cooed sarcastically. _If only you weren't getting yourself assassinated, then you could play with the rest of us. Don't feel so bad, impatient child. I'm coming by tomorrow morning. If you're a good girl, I'll come visit. _

_If you're going to be that way, I'd rather you not. _She huffed, crossing her arms. Why did he have to get her riled up when all she wanted was a nice conversation with her creator? It was practically impossible! _What about the teacher?_ She prodded. She felt him sigh mentally and wondered what the big deal was.

_Katya is busy at the moment. She and Isak are preparing the castle and Council for the court. It's less than two months away. When she is finished, she'll attend to you. She's got better things to do than babysit a spoiled fledgling. _Seras frowned, growling under her breath.

_I am not spoiled, Master, _she protested. She waited for his sarcastic rebuke, but when none came she decided that he'd left her hanging. It wouldn't have been the first time. However, she heard the words whispered in her head so quietly she almost missed them.

_More than you know._ She blinked, standing up and looking around as if he'd come popping out of the sky. After a moment, she sighed and jumped off the tower to go inside for her "breakfast". _What was that supposed to mean anyway?_

Sometimes her master could be so confusing. Seras stopped mid-stride, her eyes lighting up with an idea. Her master was confusing, but he didn't have to be! She giggled and gave herself a mental pat on the back, reveling in her brilliant plan. _And who said blondes aren't smart_?

* * *

Seras ran into the library, finding Renfield where she left him on the couch. She bounced up to him excitedly and he peered up at her with a bemused expression.

"Did you finish speaking to your master?" he asked pleasantly, turning a page. Seras stopped cold and stared at him, flabbergasted.

"How did you know I was-" she started, pointing back at the roof. Renfield chuckled and waved a hand, the book disappearing.

"My dear, nothing happens in this house _or _out of it that I don't know. Keep that in mind when you finally decide to be a deviant." He gave her an indulgent grin and repositioned his glasses on his nose. Seras shrugged and reached down to tug at his sleeve.

"I want you to teach me."

"Teach you what?" he asked absently, standing and turning towards the button-table. Seras followed, still holding his shirt in her hand.

"About my master, I think. Not Dracula, I know that much. I want to know about when he was a human." Renfield froze and she bumped into him, letting her breath out with a whoosh. He turned back to face her, his expression guarded.

"Seras, I don't think that's a very good idea," he started carefully. Seras shook her head, interrupting.

"I know you know about him. Surely, in all these books there has to be one about my master. Can't you just let me read it?" she begged, giving him her best puppy-dog face. "Please?" Renfield looked over her head around the room as though searching for something to save him. He seemed lost.

"But, why though? Can't you be happy knowing what life was like after he-"

"No!" Seras practically shoved him away as she let go of his shirt, clasping her hands in prayer before her. "He's confusing and irritating and I just want to know more about him. That way, maybe he won't be so perplexing anymore. I can talk to him better. It's so hard not to be able to communicate with him in any sense. This is all I'll ever ask you for, _I promise_!" Renfield gave her a searching glance, his eyes boring into her own. Finally he sighed and pulled a leatherbound tome from the table behind him. She reached for it and he jerked it back, his hand on hers.

"If I give you this book, you have to understand. He's not going to explain himself." Seras nodded. She knew what Renfield meant-if she read the book, it would raise questions that she'd never get the answers to.

"I know. It's something I'm willing to deal with." Renfield grimaced.

"Just promise me that you'll read the whole book. Don't stop in the middle, don't ignore any of the chapters. Let the full story be told-that's the only way to do that man justice." Seras consented and he handed the heavy tome to her. She took a look at the yellowed pages and gulped, suddenly nervous.

"Is everything in here…is it true?" He nodded.

"For the most part-the end, where he dies is a lie. Although, it may have happened. Heaven knows he's had his taken off before and he's still around today." She tucked the book under her arm and thanked the man, noting that he gave her a somber look in return. Was the book really so bad? She frowned and left the library, suddenly wanting to be alone. She returned to her room, set down at the desk, and began to read.


	20. Bloody Tears

Seras closed the book with a resounding thud that echoed throughout her room ominously. She'd done as Renfield requested read the whole thing from cover to cover, not skipping any part no matter how grotesque and cruel the images it created were. She felt numb all over, like someone had pressed a nerve and now she couldn't feel anything at all. She glanced at her hands on the book only to see that they were shaking and closed her eyes so that she couldn't see them anymore. The shaking made her dizzy, and she'd rather feel the nothingness than dizziness. The nothingness helped her pretend that she didn't care what the book said.

_Will you, would you dance and dine with corpses? _The sing-song words came unbidden to her mind and she felt a tiny shiver run up her spine. Some tiny part of her spoke cynically into her ear_:_

_Oh, but they weren't corpses yet. They were alive and pleading and screaming for mercy as he had that delicious repast. Men and women and children and__** infants**__ all were crying for death and he just ate his food happily. _She shivered again and shook her head, trying to catch the numbness before it all left her mind. However, it faded fast and was replaced by something repetitive and horrifying. Seras realized that it was chanting, as if a thousand people had crowded into her room and were all yelling into her ears at the same time. _Monster! Monster! Monster! _Every few moments a familiar voice would rise above the others, bearing down on her psyche.

**Monster** growled the long-dead Paladin Anderson as he swung his blades into a cross shape. **Monster** shrieked the frightened Archbishop Maxwell, suspended high above the hellish London scene. **Monster** purred Alucard, his sharp teeth bared in a knowing grin. **Monster** acknowledged Integra, her eyes saddened behind round frames.

The words chanted louder and louder until Seras screamed and threw the book off the desk, running away from it with her hands clapped over her ears. She made it halfway across the room before something in the vanity mirror caught her eye. She stopped, turning slowly to see herself in the mirror, still dressed in yesterday's clothing. The white dress was stained and torn and her hair was disheveled. There were bags under her red-rimmed eyes from reading all the rest of the night and into the morning hours. She stared wide-eyed at herself, watching her trembling lips forming a stuttered word silently. She felt weak-kneed, catching onto the back of the chair before she fell to the floor. The image in the glass suddenly gave her a vicious smile and tapped a nail against the mirror's surface.

"If he's a monster, what does that make _you_?" it cooed sadistically. Seras shook her head and stumbled away from the mirror, unable to voice the word that kept repeating itself inside her mind. _It's a nightmare-it's got to be a nightmare. _She pulled at her hair, pinching herself and leaving bruises that vanished instantly. _Wake up, Seras! Wake up! _She looked around frantically, spotting the door. She ran for it, fumbling to turn the knob. _If I go through here, maybe I can-_ She froze with her hand on the knob, the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight. Something bad was on the other side of the door; she could feel it. Everything in her blood screamed to back away and run-but where? There was nowhere to run to!

Gulping, she turned the knob all the way and inched the door open slightly until just a sliver was visible. She stuck her face to the gap, seeing only black and frowned. Suddenly, a red eye appeared from nowhere and she screamed, slamming the door shut as her un-beating heart jumped into her throat. The door banged against her hands and it was all she could do to keep it shut. _Where the hell is Renfield?_ She moaned, trying to reach her master with her mind and finding that he wasn't exactly _home _either. She turned the tiny lock in the door, knowing it wouldn't keep him out for long as she sprinted across the room, pausing only to grab the horrid book from the floor. She held the knob to the bathroom door, muttering under her breath.

"Please don't lead to the bathroom. Please don't lead to the bathroom. Oh, _please_ don't lead to the damn bathroom." She swung open the door and felt like cheering when she saw a hallway instead of the tiled floor of the bathroom. She closed the door and locked it before running pell-mell down the long hallway, trying to think of where she needed to go. She had no idea where Renfield was or if the place he was in was worse than what she was dealing with, so she needed something or someone who could save her. She slid to a stop beside an inconspicuous door, throwing it open and running blindly inside, shutting it behind her and cursing the lack of a lock. She turned and screamed as she came face to face with herself.

Well, it was herself and yet it wasn't. This Seras had waist-length, flowing blonde hair that seemed to move of its own accord. Her eyes were deeper than Seras' own seemed, and the skin was much paler. She was dressed in a weird sort of straightjacket type getup that clung tightly to every curve and was covered in chains and padlocks. Seras held the book up to her chest and the two women sized each other up carefully.

"Wh-who are you?" Seras asked fearfully. Was this just an illusion of her masters, a punishment of sorts? She honestly should have thought about the rage he'd get into if she'd ever read something about him without asking his permission. She wouldn't like it if someone read somebody else's account of her life- why in the world did she think he'd be okay with it? The woman smiled mysteriously, reaching out a hand towards Seras.

"Do you not recognize me? You were the one who asked for protection." A shadowy tendril escaped from the woman's hand and caressed Seras' cheek. It was the same feel of her own otherworldly powers that she felt brewing under her skin and she realized that the woman was the physical manifestation of her dark side-Seras' unholy side. The one that always came out to play when she lost control of her bloodlust. Seras frowned and tried to feel brave- that was basically herself, but she still felt a twinge of fear when facing the woman. "What? Still such a spoiled child. If you'd just accept me, you'd be sure to grow up a little."

"Yes, and you'd take over the first chance you got and kill everyone. I'd be shot down like a rabid dog by my own men because of you." Seras didn't mean for her voice to sound to sharp, but it came out that way. The demon winced and her gaze grew bitter.

"I usually can't do that. You were starved and I took my chance." The demon snarled her nose and turned away. "Now that you regularly drink, you have full power over me." Seras' frown became more pronounced.

"How can I trust you? You could be lying," she argued. The demon growled and her eyes flashed with hate.

"Why would I break down my own pride by lying about being weak? There's nothing to gain in tearing myself down, stupid twit." Her face softened slightly and her voice became imploring, bordering on whiny. "Come now, sister. Think of what we can do together. We'll be unlimited, only growing stronger with age and experience. You are supposed to be a Queen-I can help you become that!"

Seras gripped the book tighter, averting her eyes. She knew that the demon spoke the truth, but…. Voices echoed throughout the inky darkness around them. _You're not human anymore. You didn't survive that night either. Monster._ She closed her eyes and the voices quieted. She sensed the demon waiting impatiently, but not moving until Seras commanded it. She really was in control?

"If I joined with you, I would be more powerful." It was both a statement and a question. The demon nodded.

"You seem to enjoy inhibiting yourself. You only take enough power to do simple things. Don't you want to be able to do amazing tricks as easily as your master? Walk on walls, summon familiars and shadows, or travel as bats or mist? It's really easy when you let yourself go. We're an amazing species, Midians." The demon purred with pride.

"I'd have to learn those sorts of things from Master." Seras countered. "You can't teach me." The demon shook her head and smiled conspiratorially.

"No, you wouldn't. I have the knowledge. When we become one, the knowledge will be yours as well. You can do "those sorts of things" as easily as you walk and talk. Not to mention, you'll find out that there are certain powers that belong to us and us alone. No one, not even our Master, can do those. They are powers built from your experience as a human- no one can imitate them." Seras tilted her head, considering that revelation. What would her own power be? There was only one way to truly find out.

"I don't really want to give up this last bit of humanity that I have left. I don't want to be like Master." The demon blinked and shook her head.

"You're not human anymore. You confuse morality with mortality, sister. You won't lose your moral code just by joining with me, even though our Master would love to see you corrupted as he is one day." Seras bit her lip, but nodded.

"Yes, I see. I'll-I'll join with you. Come on." She held a hand and the demon intertwined their cool fingers, her smile anticipatory and excited. Seras tucked the book under her arm in order to grab the knob and the door swung open. Seras felt the jerk as she crossed the doorframe and looked back to see only empty air where the demon stood only moments before. However, she felt different now. She just _knew_. It was as if Renfield's entire library had been puréed and poured into her ear; knowledge filled her mind as though it'd been there all her life. She could no longer feel the pull of her powers-instead they thrummed in her blood and in an invisible aura around her, simply another part of her body, just like her arms and legs and just as accessible. The last part of her innocence was gone, lifted away by the power of the comprehension that had been granted to her. But she didn't feel much different; she had no need to go out and murder people, or send the world awash in blood and pain. She still felt like her own, empathetic self- only wiser somehow. _I grew up; _she quoted cynically and rolled her eyes at the mental thought. _Now what?_ She didn't feel like running away anymore, but then again walking into her master's arms was a suicidal action. She decided that finding Renfield was the best course of action.

She casually walked back down the hallway and walked through the locked door as if it wasn't there. It was a simple thing to do; all she had to do was devote one tiny second to de-atomizing herself and then doing it again in reverse a moment later. It was almost involuntary. She wasn't going to run into any doors again, she declared mentally. She was back in her room, where she stuck the book on the desk again and opened the door to leave. She didn't think that Alucard would still be there, but he was. She stared at him for a long moment before diving into his mind. It was like being in a bouncy house where the walls were concrete instead of pliable and air-filled. She couldn't find _him _anywhere in there, and his mental barriers were too strong to tear through. She frowned and came back to herself, trying for plan b.

"Tag! You're it!" she shouted in his ear, pushing him into the opposite wall hard and running through the gap it created. She ran faster than she ever could before, jumping down staircases like they weren't there and just letting the house guide her to its owner. It led her to an unfamiliar door and Seras hesitated only briefly before phasing through. She found Renfield being held captive on his bed- literally. Shadows covered every inch of him except his head and hellhounds (far different from Baskerville- these were true _hellhounds_, fire and all) patrolled the edges, growling at the intruder.

"Oh, thank heavens. I was beginning to worry," the succubus called happily. Seras rolled her eyes and began to cross the room cautiously, her own shadows disengaging her master's as she walked along.

"Renfield, this should be nothing to you-I thought you said you could beat Master?" she accused, kicking at a hellhound as it snapped at her leg. It whined and backed away when she glared at it. _Some demon_.

"Well, I technically could use magic but it'd also affect any other Midians in the house. That would be you, of course. I was under the impression that you didn't want to die anytime soon?" he offered sheepishly.

"Renfield!"

"Well, in my defense I did warn you that I'm bad about painting myself into corners." He smiled as she pulled him out of his shadow prison. "I see that you finally became a true Midian. Jolly good!" Seras sighed and pulled him into a hug.

"Renfield, what's the matter with Master?" she asked muffled by his shirt.

"Ah, he's just being his normal self-well, maybe a little stranger. We sort of duked it out downstairs. A word to the wise: best not go in the lobby until I get it fixed." Seras shook her head and let him lead her out into the hallway.

"I didn't hear anything."

"Well, it was rather contained, I suppose. The foyer is separate from the rest of the house. Another one of my little additions, you see."

"I don't understand why he's so mad. If it's in a book it's common knowledge and _ahh_!" she tumbled with him through the floor, ending up back in her room. "Don't _do _that!" She watched as he picked up the book, brushing imaginary dust off of it as he admired it.

"He's not had a good track record with women who know exactly who he is," came the answer. "You see, when Miss Erikia read this book, she declared him to be Satan incarnate and went off on her own, running away from him. I don't blame her, considering she'd been brought up as a religious Quaker before so she usually called everyone the devil. Even me. But I digress-she went off and when he managed to catch up to her, she'd been poisoned and you know all too well how that plays out." Seras felt a pang of pity for the poor girl, but caught site of her face in the mirror and steeled herself to prove her point.

"Yes, that's all sad but one instance doesn't-" she began but Renfield cut her off, still wearing a detached expression.

"And before that, when van Helsing told young Miss Harker about what she was becoming… she was like your dear friend Abigail in a way. A schoolteacher, you know. She managed to put two and two together, and along with poor Lucy's death she shied away from becoming part of the night. And you know all too well how that played out, too. All in all, I'm afraid he's gotten the notion that you're going to do something rash as well."

"What does that have to do with all of this?" Seras snapped, waving her hand at the open (though thankfully uninhabited) doorway. Renfield arched a brow and made an impatient face.

"Well, when he lets his darker side gain control he doesn't really have to _feel_ anything for a while. That man needs a good therapist." He turned with a grin at his own joke to wink at Seras, but the smile fell from his face when he saw the Draculina shaking. "Kitten?"

"So that's it then!?" Seras shouted angrily, her body trembling from suppressed rage. "He calls me spoiled, and then he just goes ballistic when he doesn't get his way like a little kid throwing a tantrum? Who does he think he is? The nerve of-I can't even… _that's it._" She grabbed the book out of the man's hands with a snarl and stomped into the empty hallway. She took a deep breath, her eyes flashing such a dark red that they seemed black. Renfield peered around the doorframe, only his eyes peeking out from behind the imagined safety of the wall. He gave a low whistle at the vampire, admiring her subtly. _Alucard's right-she's quite beautiful when she's angry. _

"**MASTER!**" Seras screamed down the hall, her voice cracking from the pressure. It took only a moment for the shadows to circle in the hallway and the man rose from the floor to stand a small ways apart from her. She glared at him for a moment, noting the still-absent look of anger in his eyes. "We need to talk, Master. Get over yourself and face me like a man." She only got a growl in reply and narrowed her eyes. Renfield looked between the two of them quickly, like he was watching a tennis match. Part of Seras noted that he may not be able to gain control so easily, but she really didn't care. She noticed that his eyes still lingered on the book. She groaned, feeling frustrated enough to break down and cry. _Why did I ever read this stupid book? Why did I even want to feel closer to him? Stupid Seras!_

"You want the book?" she hissed under her breath. She chucked the ancient tome as hard as she could at the vampire's face, ignoring Renfield's cry of alarm. "Take the fucking book! I don't care anymore! Damned-_nnnngggg_!" she screamed incomprehensibly, suddenly needing to get away for a while. She tucked her legs into her arms and cannonballed through the floor, in need of a secluded space to calm down.

Renfield looked at Alucard, who had caught the book. He watched the awareness flood back into the vampire's eyes and wondered if he even knew what had happened. He must have, for he stared at the book and looked almost guilty. Renfield let out a whoosh of breath and Alucard looked up, staring at the man for a long moment before snarling "What?!". He shrugged and walked around the doorframe and down the hall, deciding to give both vampires time to cool off before he played out the part of a mediator.

* * *

In the orphanage, Seras had always had "her spot". It was a space underneath the first-floor staircase that no one else knew of, tucked behind some old fruit crates. Seras had always hidden there when she wanted a private moment to herself. It was the perfect place to relax.

Now, one of the staircases at Renfield's had offered her a spot exactly like that one, only a bit bigger to fit her full frame into. She had actually fallen asleep under there, the warm air combined with the safe feeling of seclusion putting her at ease despite her angry feelings. She only awoke to something tapping on her head. Sitting up blearily, she looked to see Renfield staring at her upside-down, his knuckles rapping on her forehead.

"Knock knock," he offered quietly. "May I come in?" Seras nodded and scooted over, allowing him to squeeze into her spot. It was tight fit, but he somehow made it and she rested her head on his shoulder comfortingly. "Did you have a good nap? Feel any better?" Seras nodded, then shook her head.

"I dunno," she muttered. "Why can't my life be easy for once?" Renfield stuck out his tongue and made a disgusted sound.

"Easy is boring. Be happy that you have such an action-packed life." Seras didn't respond, listening instead to some sort of music that drifted from the hallways. Was it there before, or just in her mind? She sighed and snuggled deeper into Renfield's bony shoulder.

"How can I face him? I can't even look him in the eyes anymore." Her voice broke and a tear slipped down her cheek and stained his white shirt. She watched it ripple out, the red coloring the white threads. Renfield hummed.

"I wouldn't worry. A book is one of the least threatening things he's had thrown at his head. Which you shouldn't have done. That book is several lifetimes older than you are." Seras shook her head violently at his words and he aahed. "It's not the book, it's what was in it, isn't it?" She didn't answer. She wasn't even sure herself.

"Stupid demon," she finally spoke. "Master wants me corrupted, but that damned book shows what he did-does to corrupted women. We're supposed to be the models of domesticity," she ended bitterly.

"And that worries you?" Renfield asked. "Darling, you can't be as old as we are without regrets. Perhaps time has changed Alucard. Perhaps he feels remorse for what he's done to those poor souls five hundred years ago." When he saw the look she shot him, he grinned. "Well, I did say perhaps." He stretched and moved to leave the space under the stairs. "Well, I'm going into the garden for a bit. Your master has stolen my piano for his own use and you're under my stairs, so I'm getting out of here before I become depressed too. Cheerio." He saluted her and strutted out of sight. Seras listened to the solemn music that permeate the air and rested her head on her knees. _Remorse._

The memory resurfaced of her master, crying in the broken streets of London. Telling Anderson that they were the same. Seeing his fate played out before his own eyes. Her throat constricted in the same way it had then; again she wondered if one day they'd cry together over the inevitable end that they shared. If she'd stand next to him in the flames the way she did that day; if his hand would once again cover hers as they braced against the pain. _No. It wouldn't be Hell if he were there with me. God would never allow it._ She smiled despite the tears slowly coursing down her cheeks and over her nose.

_You love him_. The words flowed in her mind, but weren't hers. She could have sworn she'd heard Pip, but that couldn't have been. He'd disappeared long ago. She blinked slowly at the epiphany, realizing that it was true while her brain railed against it. _I do, _she answered herself, knowing what it meant for her and the future. Would it be okay to stand by him until the end of days filled with unrequited love; could she handle that pain? _For now, yes. _She rubbed her eyes and face with the dress before crawling out of the space. She needed a long shower, and then like it or not her master was going to hear her out.

* * *

She stuck her head into the drawing room door, looking at Alucard's back as he played the same mournful song over and over. She sighed, fingering her gloves as she straightened her crimson uniform. She looked like she was going into battle. In her mind, she was. It wasn't going to be easy getting her point across to the man before her. She nodded once to herself and silently padded into the room, looking at the book sitting on the table next to the couch. She reached for it, settling it into her lap as she sat down and listened to him play. He was wearing his armor again, a sure sign that he was troubled about something seeing as there was no blood seeping along the floors. He was just being himself, and for some reason it stung her. She sighed and swayed slightly with the music, not recognizing the tune but appreciating its beauty. She started when both his hands slammed on the keys.

"What?" he barked hoarsely at her, and she wondered if it was just his accent, or if he'd been crying. Not wanting to know, she remained silent as she thought of an appropriate answer.

"I just wanted to listen to you play. It's nice." She offered, and her only response was his continued playing. She closed her eyes again, committing the tune to memory. He only got through half the refrain before he stopped again, this time quietly.

"Seras, what do you want." It wasn't a question, but it was still something from him. Seras opened the book, pretending to read the front page.

"The Princess's Tale, by Seras Victoria. Hmm, the book's changed, Master. I'll read it to you so you know what it says." He half-turned, the profile of his face barely visible around the matted hair.

"Do not toy with me, childe." Seras ignored him, turning the page again and studying the text.

"Once upon a time there was a tiny girl who lived with her parents happily. She didn't think she was a princess, but her Daddy and Mummy called her one all the time, so she decided that she must be. However, as in all fairytales the princess lost her parents tragically. Instead of getting an evil stepmother, she was sent to an orphanage where all the other children were worse than any stepsister could be. The princess was miserable." She turned the page once more and barely glanced up, encouraged that he was at least listening.

"The princess grew up without a family to call her own anymore. She was sad, but made up her mind to join the police force so that no other princess would have to go through what she did. She worked hard and finally felt happy that she had her dream job, but still there was a loneliness inside her that couldn't be filled no matter how hard she toiled.

"One day, the princess was sent to a tiny town where an evil man had gathered up all the townspeople and brainwashed them. The princess fought valiantly, but the evil man took her hostage and threatened to take the one thing she held closer than any jewels or job-her soul. The princess was so frightened and alone." Seras hummed to herself as she turned the page, noting that Alucard had turned all the way around on the seat and was regarding her with a mixture of confusion and curiousness.

"The princess begged God for a knight in shining armor on a white steed to burst from the trees and save her from the evil man and carry her away. However, the only one who came was a mysterious crimson stranger who talked cruelly to the man. The princess wasn't sure if she could trust this man-he certainly wasn't a knight. But he proved himself to be utterly evil when he embarrassed her and shot a hole in her heart. She lay on the ground, wishing for her parents to be there with her. Suddenly, the man asked if she wanted to come with him. The princess knew deep down that he was asking for her soul, but she didn't care anymore. She gave it up to the stranger, since he asked.

"The stranger ferried the princess away to a castle, for he was actually a Prince in disguise. The princess didn't know any of this, of course. She only awoke to see that the stranger had brought to the castle of a brave knight, who let her stay in exchange for employment. The princess agreed and life went along, although it was hardly easy and filed with bumps in the road." Seras paused to clear her throat.

"She grew to love the knight and the prince, and even the knight's valet. She realized that she wasn't quite so lonesome anymore, because the stranger had made her his family. She knew deep down that he also knew what it was like to be alone and she didn't mind that he was mean and liked to tease her. She was just happy that after long last, she'd found someone to be with.

Then, just when she was happy, the man vanished. Everyone was sad, but they waited for him. Many years passed, and eventually only the princess and the knight were waiting for him to return to the castle. Finally, the knight said: "Give up, Princess. He's not returning to us." The princess shook her head and continued watching the horizon, because she now knew who that her stranger was really a powerful prince who'd vanished long ago, and if he'd returned once he would come back again. She was his family, and she knew he'd never let her be alone forever. He wasn't that cruel.

One night, she looked on the horizon and saw a familiar figure. She was overjoyed! Her prince had come back to her, just like she said! The three lived happily for many more years which seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Then, the knight went on a journey that the royal family couldn't accompany her on. If they ever got to come, they may never find out where the knight had gone and both were saddened that they may never see her again. They had a replacement knight to care for them, but it didn't feel the same. Once again, the princess was happy that she had someone to be with that wouldn't go on any journeys without her. They could live forever and ever together if they wanted to." Seras paused, flipping through the last pages of her "book".

"What happened to the princess?" the question came almost silently, but Seras couldn't help the smile that crossed her face.

"What do you think happened?" she replied furtively. Alucard gave her a trying look and sighed.

"The princess realized that before the prince vanished the first time, he wasn't the sadistic yet glamorous, wise ruler history made him out to be. He was foolish and when she found out, she wanted nothing more to do with him, no matter how lonely it made her. There were always others to be her family." Seras read the last page of the book and shook her head.

"That's not what it says here." An armored fist hit the piano keys and she glared at him impatiently.

"What does it say then?!"

"It says that the princess figured out that he was a sadistic killer, but since she already knew that she didn't care as much! She knew he was a monster, but that didn't stop her from caring about him!" she shouted back. At the look on his face, she softened her voice. "The princess cared at one point, yes. But her fairy godfather reminded her that people change over time, and sometimes we feel bad for the things we've done long ago. Sometimes you can't forgive yourself until someone else forgives you." She rubbed the leather-bound cover lovingly. "The princess didn't want to abandon her family, even if the prince wanted her too. She knew he just wanted to keep her from getting hurt, in his own baffling way."

"I don't want your pity. I abhor it." Seras tilted her head to the side.

"I know. I don't offer you any either. But I forgive you."

"You can't. It's not your forgiveness to hand over." Seras placed the book on the table and crossed the room to stand before him, letting the shadows curl around her legs as she studied him. _He's so tall. _Even sitting, he was face to face with her while she stood.

"Yes it is. I forgive you for killing me. We both know you didn't have to." She placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the way the armor moved beneath her. "I forgive you for abandoning me without the slightest goodbye 40 years ago." She wanted to brush against his beard; to see if it was really as rough as it looked. "I even forgive you for all the times you've attacked me just because you didn't know how to handle your emotions." He made a move to protest and she ignored him, sliding her other arm around him to give him a hug, pressing her cheek against his to whisper in his ear. "I do forgive you, my master. Just promise that you'll forgive me for not understanding before."

He didn't say anything, simply sitting there while she rubbed her cheek slightly against his and threatened to choke him with her arms around his neck. After a long while he tentatively placed a hand on her back, rubbing up and down carefully. She rolled her eyes, trying to remember that showing affection was a foreign thing to him.

"Just put your arms around me, Master. I'm not going to scream," she muttered in his ear and heard his chuckle before he pushed her away. She saw with a keen satisfaction that he was back to his normal self and smiled at him. He offered her a tiny half-smile before standing and pushing her ahead of him.

"Enough of this, Police Girl. It seems we have business to attend to." Seras grinned and pulled herself out of her master's grip, standing behind him to the right as he led the way.

"Yes Sir!"

* * *

**Afterword: **Forgive my sappiness. I'm a big sap. Maple sap. Maple syrup. Mmm, pancakes. I want to go to Ihop now.


	21. A Traitor Among Us

**Author's Note:** I now bring you the comedy stylings of Seras D*cktoria and Walter Datass. **(****⁰ᵕ⁰) or not.**

* * *

Seras jogged to keep up with Alucard's long strides as they walked through the hallways. She was so focused on keep up that she almost missed his question.

"What made you accept your true nature? Surely you weren't so emotional that you gave in like a weakling." His voice held the normal bite, but Seras could hear the curiosity bubbling underneath.

"I realized that I could be a vampire with a conscience if I wanted to be. Accepting what I am doesn't mean that I have to renounce morals and go off on killing sprees every day." He shot her an exasperated look and she faltered only a moment before deciding to try something. She began walking again, but instead of putting effort into running or keeping up she simply didn't think about it. Using her new, natural-feeling gait she easily caught up with him and fell into step. "I didn't realize how much easier things are now, otherwise I would have made the decision long ago," she admitted, rather in awe of her newfound speed.

"At least you won't be stumbling around as much. It's true; vampires don't walk like humans do. It's about time you learned that we don't do much of anything like humans do," her master started.

"Because _we're not human_," she finished along with him, rolling her eyes. "I know, I know. Just give me more time to get used to it." She frowned up at him, expecting some sassy retort.

"I suppose. At least you're learning faster than the other Children, but that's to be expected. I never said you didn't have natural talent-you just never seem to want to make use of it." Seras huffed at the semi-compliment and he leered at her before stopping dead in the hallway. She walked forward a few paces before turning to look at him.

"Master?" he gave her a trying look before vanishing through the floor. Seras sighed and dived after him, treating the floor as though it were a swimming pool. She turned, allowing herself to fall back through the layers of foundation and plaster weightlessly. The air turned cooler and she felt a pang of longing for the basement of Hellsing Manor. It surprised her that she'd even care; she'd hated the dark stone rooms from the minute she arrived, but now it felt like home. _I suppose after half a century one's opinion changes,_ she thought absently as she felt her master's presence and pulled her atoms back together. She felt something bumpy under her hips and opened her eyes to see that she was lying on someone's feet.

It was a middle-aged woman in long, flowing white robes and long hair that was so black it looked blue where the light shone. She looked tired and snappy, as though she was irritated just at the sight of another person, much less one lying on her feet. Seras watched in a strange fascination as the crow's feet next to her eyes twitched slightly and her frown lines became more pronounced.

"And what is this little… thing?" she growled edgily, her nose twisting in abhorrence as she nudged Seras off her shoes. "Well, get up! Show some respect for your elders, you little brat." Seras picked herself up off the ground and schooled her face into the neutral deference she used at the orphanage whenever she was being disciplined. "What is your name? Hurry up, answer!" the woman barked. It was clear she was used to giving orders and having them obeyed. Seras felt her face twitch and focused on keeping her anger in check. She never liked it when people treated her like a child, which was exactly how she felt in front of this woman. She wanted to bark something rude back, but a voice in her mind told her that if she wasn't respectful Alucard wouldn't be happy with her, no matter what the case may be.

"Seras Victoria, ma'am," she replied tactfully, keeping a blank face. Experience taught her that even a smile could be a damning thing in such situations. How many times had she been slapped for being "fresh" simply because she'd grinned at her questioners? The woman pursed her lips and suddenly a bony hand came and grabbed Seras' chin, pulling her over and in front of the woman for some strange sort of inspection.

"Hair in her eyes, male uniform, too tight clothing altogether; not to mention those boots…" the woman said to herself, turning Seras' head from side to side roughly. Seras bit her tongue, determined not to embarrass her master's name in front of some important lady (no matter how much she wanted to slap the hand away and growl like an animal). The woman jerked her too hard and the first button to her uniform snapped undone, leaving the top of her neck exposed. Seras gasped and moved to fix the button, but her neck caught the woman's eye and her bony hands quickly undid the second button. Her eyes narrowed at the raised scars on Seras' neck, her mouth drawing into a thin line and she looked almost as if she were about to throw a tantrum. "Bite marks," she finally hissed in disgust, pulling Seras' face flush with her own. "Who exactly is your master?"

"That would be me." Seras internally jumped for joy at the sound of her Alucard's voice. "And before you become a hypocrite, you should probably give respect where it's due and let her go." The woman released Seras, who stumbled back into Alucard's chest. He stared down at her and shook his head. "The only Midian in the entire world who still acts like a klutz after growing into her powers," he teased and pushed her off to the side. Seras felt the blush spread across her cheeks and busied herself with fixing the buttons on her collar. The woman bowed quickly to Alucard before turning her icy gaze back to Seras.

"Did you honestly think the Council would approve of someone like _her?_" she questioned irritably. Seras looked up to see the woman's violet gaze flashing as she stared at her neck.

"I honestly don't care for your approval. In case you've forgotten, the Council only has power when I'm not around," Alucard sneered. His grin widened slightly and Seras felt the hint of danger in the air. She relaxed; she couldn't remember the last time his wrath wasn't directed towards her. It was nice for someone else to be in danger for once. Besides, that woman-council or not- shouldn't have spoken so informally to her master. Didn't she know he was the King of Vampires? Seras suddenly felt the urge to go over and slap the wrinkles off the unfriendly woman. She felt Alucard's amusement and realized he was still focusing on her mind as well.

_I'm glad to see you're so loyal; however, you were right to control yourself. The Council is full of people you don't' want for enemies. Lucky for you, at least one of them is immediate family. _ Seras blinked in surprise; she didn't really know much about the Council, but if they were all like this woman, she decided to stay away. Still, there was one of Alucard's blood there?

_It's not Isak, is it? I guess I haven't met them yet._

_No, and you won't for a while. It's a… special case. I want Katya to be there. _Seras felt only more puzzled, but she felt Alucard brush her unasked questions off dismissively and instead focused back on the woman, who had gotten over her shock and was speaking again.

"I understand, my lord but-honestly-" the woman cast another glance at Seras, "does she even know what it means?" This seemed to hit a nerve with Alucard; he snapped his teeth together and his hands clenched. Seras' eyes widened at the sight.

"I will tell her when the time comes to tell her," he spat. It sounded rehearsed, like he'd had the conversation at least a dozen times before. Seras felt more confused than ever. They were speaking about her like she wasn't standing right there! The woman sputtered angrily and pointed, only to have a wizened hand rest on her outstretched one.

"Silence, dear. Remember to whom you speak." The woman swung around, her robes flashing against the darkness of the dungeon to reveal a tiny, elderly man. His purple eyes were watery behind bifocals and he shook slightly as he leaned on a knotted cane. He wore the same Council robes as the woman, only with a violet patch on the front shoulder. The woman shook her head and gestured to Seras.

"Master Roark, forgive me but she's got _bite marks_ and he'd said that-" the man held up one hand and the woman quickly silenced, biting her lip. He murmured under his breath and the woman gritted her teeth and bowed quickly before stalking away through the wall. The man watched her leave, his expression bemused. He turned slowly and began to walk towards Alucard at a snail's pace, nodding reverently as he did so.

"Your Grace," he murmured. Alucard nodded back, discreetly motioning for Seras to come join him. Seras obeyed the hidden command, standing by his right side and looking curiously at the grandfatherly man. _Master, he looks much too old to be a vampire._

_He was very old when he was changed. Sometimes, we choose not for looks, but for knowledge when we need a Councilmember. This is the first man from the United States to serve on the Council. He is very wise. _Seras nodded and considered the life an old vampire may have to lead.

_Constant arthritis, Master, _she said sympathetically, noting the twisted hands that gripped the cane. _That must be painful. _

_You talk nonsense, Police Girl. His body is stronger now than it ever was in his life. Any aches or pains he once felt are long gone. _Seras looked up at him speculatively, and he gave her a wide grin. _Would you rather have me be wrong, and him suffering? _ She made a face and shook her head.

_**No**__ sir. _He chuckled and that gained the attention of the old man, who offered Seras a friendly smile.

"Well, my lord, it's been a while since I heard you laugh; I'm grateful to hear it again. Care to introduce me to your little Childe?" Alucard actually removed his glasses and Seras almost gasped at the motion. Her master hardly ever took off his glasses away from the manor. Not even in front of Renfield did he appear without him, save the few times his anger got the better of him. But to this old man, he gave the respect of removing the glasses and even offering a small bow. Seras quickly bowed too; it was clear her master held the old man in high regard.

"Roark, this is Seras Victoria. Seras, this is Roark, one of the three High Councilmen." Seras colored as the old man took her hand and kissed it gently.

"Pleased to meet you, Lady Seras. It's nice to see a new face among the King's clan. We were starting to think he planned on letting them die out," he said with a soft laugh. He looked her over and gave a feeble wink. "Ah, but if I were fifty years younger." Seras giggled at the obvious joke, taking her hand back from the man. He turned slightly and looked up at Alucard. "We're done with the prisoner, I suppose. I'm heading back to the castle and we're going to talk over what to do now. If this really is war, we must all prepare as one, as I'm sure you know." Alucard nodded, looking over at the shadows. Seras followed his gaze and saw a row of wooden doors.

"All the more reason to meet in November. If you see Katya at the castle, tell her to come to me if you would." Councilman Roark nodded slowly, and addressed Seras once more.

"I'm sure we'll meet again in the fall. Take care, child." Seras smiled and waved as he vanished into thin air, leaving the pair alone in the stone room. She looked up at Alucard, who returned her gaze expectantly.

"I like him. But not the woman. She reminded me of people-well, I didn't like her all that much." Seras put a hand on her neck. "What was all that fuss about, though-Master?" She looked back at Alucard, who was studying her with a considering expression. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"It doesn't concern you right now, Police Girl," he said firmly. Seras shook him off and pointed at her collar.

"It does so concern me! It's my neck!" she argued. He frowned at her before doing something she hadn't ever heard him do before: he sighed and rubbed his eyebrows before putting his glasses back on. She relaxed, unsure of what that meant.

"You're right. It is your neck," he conceded. "But do not ask again. I _will_ tell you one day." When she opened her mouth, he held up a hand and gave her a weary expression. "Do not fight me on this, Seras. I won't stand for it." Seras yielded; to anyone else it would have sounded like an angry command, but she could hear the true meaning in his voice. He was _asking _her to not push him. He'd never really asked for anything before. It stunned her into silence.

"Yes sir, Master." He turned and walked towards the wooden doors and Seras followed, shivering slightly. Something about the shadowy entrances seemed malevolent. "What-where are we going?" she asked hesitantly.

"We've caught one of the poisoners. I thought you may have some questions for him, seeing as he's the one who made you so sick." Seras stopped, feeling a growing sense of violence in the pit of her stomach.

"I don't want to see his face. I may just rip it off." Alucard turned to her and she saw his wide eyes behind the glasses. _Of course, he'd like nothing better than to see me rip some bloke's face off. _She set her jaw and crossed her arms, and he turned and walked a half-step back towards her.

"Come now, where did your sense of fun run off to? I thought you would want to at least see who he was, the one who turned traitor against you." Seras perked her ears and gave him a sideways glance.

"Traitor?" she asked, flabbergasted. Was it one of her own men? No, no it couldn't be! She treated them like they were her _children_. They wouldn't-Seras trembled in anger and turned, striding to stand before her master. "Which door?" she growled. By God, if it was one of hers, no one in Heaven or Hell could help that damned soul once her claws found his throat. She turned and grabbed her master's hand, pulling him along. "Show me!"

"_Yessss_," he hissed, voice dripping with excitement and anticipation. "This way." He quickly took the lead and became the one dragging her along the hallway towards the farthest door. He pushed the door open with a rusty creak, leading her in and pointing to the figure chained to the wall. She stopped, staring for a long moment with fury in her gaze. Finally she heaved in an unneeded breath and narrowed her eyes.

"McGregor. So nice to see you again."

* * *

**Afterword**: _(claps, snaps, points)_ **Daaaaamn. **


	22. An Important Message from the Author

Author's Note:

I'm very sorry about this, but until further notice this fanfiction is placed on hiatus. This is a hard decision for me, but when it came down to it I had my reasons.

First of all, my school-term is in full swing and with the workload I have placed on me between homework and tests, I don't have time to do work on more than at most 2 stories at a time. This is a curse for me, since I'm bad at not pacing myself and piling so much on my plate that I become stressed from work overload.

Secondly, as many of you know I work in the retail industry. This is the time of year that we are swamped all the time. People are already working on Christmas items, and since it's technically time for Halloween our store is already covered in sticky children buying sweets and costumes and… it's a mess. And of course after Halloween is Thanksgiving and Black Friday and Christmas and (dies). So it's a pretty stressful time, not accounting for how understaffed we are this year.

Thirdly, I have been having a lack of inspiration for this story. I mean, it's like I've written myself into a wall (and I seem to do that a lot). I've rewritten the newest chapter at least 3 times in the past week and each time, I feel as though it falls short. That's the thing; I don't want to give my readers a story that sucks just because I didn't take the time to write it out the way it needed to be written. I don't think that's very fair to you guys.

So I'm putting it away in my folder on my computer and I'm working on other stories at the moment that I plan on finishing soon, and if I get inspiration I might try for a new story or two before the end of the year. I promise that I won't forget about it!

In conclusion, I'm so sorry for all of you that followed this story from Caeli et Inferno and are now sitting there like "What the foo', man?!" For those that found this story new, there's a "sequel" of sorts that's already completed. Feel free to go check it out! And always, always check out my other stories! I try to write lots of varied things to fit all tastes. I also have a poll at the top of my profile page; I ask that you go and vote on what sort of story you'd like to see from me if you haven't done it already.

I plan on putting this story out of my sight for _at least _the month of September. If I find that I still don't have any ideas, I'm going to keep it out of sight for longer. Please be patient with me while I work this all out!

(And sorry for making you listen to a big sob story about my life and how it sucks vampire bats.)

Love from Alabama,

Juju


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